Localities throughout the country should reinforce controls andinspections of poultry raising sites to prevent an outbreak of theA/H5N6 influenza virus strain, while taking preventive measures, anofficial from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD)said.

According to Dam Xuan Thanh, head of MARD’sDepartment of Animal Health, influenza, foot-and-mouth disease andblue-ear disease in livestock and poultry are currently under control.

However, strain A/H5N6 of the influenza virus has nowbeen recorded in central Ha Tinh, and northern Lang Son and Lao Caiprovinces due to illegal trans-boundary poultry smuggling and recentbird migrations. This virus still poses a threat to Vietnam, he said at anational conference in Hanoi on August 26 on breeding and veterinaryefforts.

Thanh stated that tests run on samplestaken from poultry flocks surrounding the outbreak areas came backnegative for A/H5N6.

However, he warned thatcontrolling the spread of the virus is extremely difficult, particularlyelsewhere in the world the virus has been detected in a flock of wildmigratory birds.

He requested localities make surethey stock enough vaccines against the virus, recommending thedomestically produced Navet vaccine.

Currently, 50localities have submitted plans for coping with animal diseases so far,Thanh noted. He went on to push for a more active response from otherprovinces and cities.

Meanwhile, Hoang Thanh Van,head of MARD’s Department for Livestock Production, reported thatdespite difficulties on the market and outbreaks of diseases earlierthis year, the livestock production sector is recovering, with a 3percent growth rate for the first half of 2014, 1.9 percent higher thanfor the same period last year.

As a result, this trend could mean a 5 percent year-on-year growth rate for the entire year, he said.-VNA