The Agriculture Ministry’s Department of Animal Health on Nov. 1 announced the recurrence of bird flu in Vietnamese poultry after six months with no reported outbreaks of the virus.

Infected fowl were reported at nine smallholding farms in Dien Bien Province in the northwest mountains between October 21 and 23. At least 2,200 birds have been culled to contain the outbreak.

Dr. Olivé on the one hand acknowledged a variety of governmental efforts to prevent and control bird flu but on the other highlighted that, to be successful, these measures required ongoing changes in practices and behaviors.

“Our experience is that people have a high level of awareness about avian influenza and take certain actions [only] when outbreaks are reported,” he told Thanh Nien Weekly.

“Our challenge is ensuring that we apply protective measures all of the time, not just during an outbreak, which is difficult because when people don't hear about outbreaks they assume the virus has completely gone away.”

Vietnam has recorded four human fatalities from bird flu so far this year, the most recent being a 23-year-old woman in central Thanh Hoa Province in late April.

The country has the world's second-highest human bird flu death toll after Indonesia, with 56 deaths to date.

Reported by An Dien