The minister, who is also head of the National Steering Committee on Bird Flu Control, said local authorities had to have stringent control over the slaughter of domestic fowl in infected areas and continue the vaccination of poultry.

He ordered quick implementation of a new assistance policy for farmers to enlist their cooperation for stamping out the disease.

Agencies concerned must maintain strict vigilance of illegal transportation, hatching, and purchase of poultry from infected areas and punish violators.

Pham Thanh Tuoi, deputy head of the Ca Mau administration, said the disease had been controlled in the three infected sites in Tran Van Thoi district, and some 6,000 birds destroyed.

By Sunday Bac Lieu province reported no new infections after slaughtering over 1,500 fowl in Hoa Binh district.

Tran Thi Ngoc Mai, head of the district, is considering filing charges against Tan Tan Phat, a duck hatchery, for illegally transporting 3,800 birds even though a ban was imposed last week.

Vietnam, which reported no human bird flu cases since late 2005, has lost 42 people to the disease, second only to Indonesia's 57.

The disease has killed 154 people out of 258 infected globally since 2003.

Reported by Tien Trinh – Translated by Tuong Nhi