Vietnam newspaper reported that H5N1 bird flu had killed several birds among a flock of more than 100 ducks in Thai Nguyen city in Vietnam.
Bird flu resurfaced in poultry in northern Vietnam after many months without any cases.
Animal health officials detected the virus H5N1 in dead chickens. Nearly 4,200 chickens had been slaughtered to prevent the virus from spreading. The H5N1 strain of bird flu usually thrive best in low temperature.
H5N1 has killed millions of poultry in a growing number of countries throughout Asia, Europe and Africa. Health experts are concerned that the co-existence of human flu viruses and avian flu viruses (especially H5N1) will provide an opportunity for genetic material to be exchanged between species-specific viruses, possibly creating a new virulent influenza strain that is easily transmissible and lethal to humans.
The H5N1 strain has killed 247 people globally among the 391 confirmed cases of infection since 2003, according to the World Health Organisation.
Source: Tuoi Tre, Vietnam