Trinh Quan Huan, deputy minister of the Health Ministry, confirmed over 100 million poultry which had been inoculated under a government program in Vietnam were still immune to the disease, which meant the super strain had yet to enter the country.

The new bird-flu virus strain, known as “Fujian-like virus” first discovered in China's southern Fujian province in March 2005, has recently plagued several neighboring countries, including China, Thailand, Laos and Malaysia.

Also at the conference, a partnership was set up to support Vietnam in the national operational program for bird flu control to 2010, also called Green Book, with many embassies and overseas organizations participating.

So far, donors have committed over US$60 million to the Green Book budget, which is estimated at $250 million. The Vietnamese government is expected to finance half of the cost.

To date, the government has earmarked roughly US$100 million for tackling and preventing disease outbreaks.

Since late 2003 when the first H5N1-virus type was found, it has killed more than 150 people regionally with some 43 in Vietnam, and remains a threat to both poultry flocks and humans.

Researchers said the Fujian variant had already initiated a new wave of transmission throughout Southeast Asia and might spread further in Eurasia due to its resistance to current vaccines which protected poultry from H5N1 virus.

Reported by L.C. – Translated by Tuong Nhi