Dien Chau has bird flu outbreak in a flock of 2,460 ducks

According to Ms. Van, the farm owner, from July 26 to 28, the family's 12-day-old ducks were still normal, but then died very quickly. In just 2 days, 90 ducks died. Ms.reported to the Commune Veterinary Department, samples were taken for testing and the results were positive for H5N6.

On July 30, Dien Chau Veterinary Station destroyed the entire herd of 2,460 birds, disinfected and sterilized them, and set up checkpoints to prevent poultry from circulating in the epidemic area. "I saw ducks eating normally, but after eating, they died. I registered for the vaccine, but it was not yet due so I did not vaccinate them, now the epidemic has completely destroyed the flock," said Ms. Van.

After destroying the ducks, Ms. Van sprinkled lime powder to disinfect the barn. Photo: Mai Giang

Along with implementing anti-epidemic measures at the outbreak site, the authorities have informed the people about the epidemic situation and provided instructions on disease prevention measures. At the same time, they have signed a commitment with households not to slaughter or sell poultry; to isolate sick poultry, not to throw away carcasses indiscriminately; and to clean and disinfect barns according to the instructions of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station.

Although he was far from the farm with the diseased ducks, as soon as the epidemic broke out, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Luyen in Hamlet 2 registered to buy medicine and had veterinary staff come to his home to vaccinate the entire flock of ducks. Mr. Luyen said that although his family was not in the epidemic area, he was helped with the vaccination so the flock of ducks was vaccinated less than a month away from laying eggs.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Luyen sprays disinfectant chemicals to disinfect the entire farm. Photo: Mai Giang

Dien Lien is the largest duck farming area in Dien Chau, with 20 farms raising thousands of ducks or more. In the spirit of urgent epidemic prevention and the destruction of diseased ducks, the district's Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station has sprayed disinfectants in the epidemic area. On August 1, 24,000 doses of H5N1 vaccine were provided to vaccinate poultry in the commune.

Ms. Chu Thi Ngoc Dung - an officer of Dien Chau Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station said: In addition to sending official dispatches to localities to urgently fight the epidemic, notifying livestock households in the district to register to buy vaccines and spray disinfectants, we recommend that families do not bring poultry back to re-herd at this time.

Officers of the Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station vaccinate poultry flocks for 20 livestock farms in Dien LienPhoto: Mai Giang

This is the second outbreak in Dien Lien since the beginning of 2018. In January 2018, Dien Lien had an outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza, 765 chickens had to be destroyed. Currently, the weather is erratic, the environment is polluted, so it is easy for disease outbreaks to occur. Therefore, vaccination is considered the most effective measure to prevent disease in livestock.