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Published Date: 2012-09-08 19:22:04
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Avian influenza (51): Viet Nam, H5N1 virus evolution
Archive Number: 20120908.1286497

AVIAN INFLUENZA (51): VIET NAM, H5N1 VIRUS EVOLUTION
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Date: 6 Sep 2012
Source: VietNamNet Bridge [edited]
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/society/43608/new-fatal-bird-flu-virus-appears-in-vietnam.html

New fatal bird-flu virus appears in Vietnam
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A new highly-pathogenic avian flu virus is quickly spreading in northern and central Vietnam, reported the National steering board for bird flu and foot-and-mouth disease [FMD] prevention.

The acting head of the Veterinary Agency, Mr. Hoang Van Nam, said the new virus still belongs to the 2.3.2.1 virus branch but it is different from the 2.3.2.1 virus (both A and B groups,) which caused the avian flu epidemic in Vietnam last year.

Nam said that this virus can make the avian flu epidemic to spread widely in Vietnam in the coming time.

Seven provinces in Vietnam currently have bird flu epidemics, with more than 180 000 poultry being culled.

According to experts, the new virus type appeared in Vietnam in July [2012] and quickly spread in the country's northern and central regions in August. This type of virus is quite similar to virus of A group but its [pathogenicity] is much higher. The Central Veterinary Diagnosis Center is about to test the protection of current vaccine on the new virus.

Vice head of the Animal Husbandry Agency, Mr. Nguyen Thanh Son said that the new virus may come from China's disqualified chickens, which were illegally imported into Vietnam via the border.

"Wherever Chinese disqualified chickens come, the new virus appears. It attacked both chickens and ducks," Son said.

Two weeks ago, the National steering board for bird flu and FMD prevention defined that the new virus is similar to the H5N1 virus in China. The board and the Market Control Agency doubted the connection between smuggled chickens and the spread of new virus.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Diep Kinh Tan asked the Animal Husbandry to strictly control the import of breeding chickens from China, because the new virus can more quickly spread from breeding chickens than from chickens for meat.

"The new fatal bird flu virus is quickly spreading and this is the big concern of the government," Tan said.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's officials asked relevant agencies to give priority to using Vietnam's vaccines to avoid dependence on imported products.

[Byline: Nam Nguyen]

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Communicated by:
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[Since the start of the H5N1 epizootic in Vietnam in 2007, 358 outbreaks have been reported to the OIE. The most recent follow-up report, No 76, submitted on 6 Sep 2012, notifying 3 new outbreaks, is available at http://tinyurl.com/cvd222r.

The term "China's disqualified chickens", as well as the claim that a new H5N1 virus strain, apparently of Chinese origin, is circulating, are in need of clarification.

Avian influenza will be one of the main topic on the agenda of next week's "Influenza2012" conference in Oxford; for the agenda, see http://www.lpmhealthcare.com/Influenza2012/Agenda.htm. - Mod.AS

A HealthMap/ProMED-mail map can be accessed at: http://healthmap.org/r/1jtz.]

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