A new and "very toxic" strain of Bird Flu emerges in Vietnam
Hanoi (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A new highly toxic
strain of bird flu has appeared recently in Vietnam and is spreading with
increasing rapidity. The
Ministry of Agriculture sources Hanoi say the virus is a "mutation"
of H5N1 found in poultry last year and has forced the authorities to proceed
with mass culling of poultry in the affected areas . It
is a dangerous and deadly disease, which could cause more casualties than it
has in the other forms of Bird Flu which appeared.
Diep
Kinh Tan, deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development said that the
new virus "is spreading rapidly" and is a source of "great
concern" to the government. The
variant appeared in July and in August spread to the northern and central
regions. Outbreaks
have been reported in six provinces, and according to data from the Department
for Animal Health, about 180 thousand birds have already been culled.
Experts
from the Veterinary Center say the virus is similar to the standard strain of
bird flu, but much more toxic. Others
add that it originates from the illegal trafficking and illegal poultry from
China and crosses - without any control - to neighboring Vietnam. A
researcher confirms that "every time poultry enters without certification,
you will see a new virus."
In
2012, two people have died of bird flu so far, but the deaths occurred before the
new strain of the virus was identified. The
World Health Organization (WHO) said
that Vietnam has recorded one of the highest numbers of victims of H5N1 in
South-East Asia, with about sixty dead since 2003. Worldwide the victims of the
virus are about 330; scientists
fear it could mutate into a variant transmissible between humans, triggering a
pandemic that could kill millions of people
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