New bird flu outbreaks in Vietnam

Hanoi (dpa) - Vietnam on Tuesday confirmed two new outbreaks of bird flu in domestic poultry, the first in more than a year in the country once hardest-hit by the deadly H5N1 strain.

Thousands of chickens and ducks will be slaughtered in two Mekong Delta provinces to prevent the spread of the disease, which has killed 158 people and hundreds of millions of chickens worldwide.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu is not easily contagious among humans, but scientists fear if it is left unchecked it could mutate into a new human influenza pandemic strain, threatening the lives of millions of people who would have no natural immunity.

Earlier this year, Vietnam - which has seen 42 people die from bird flu since 2003 - declared it had brought bird flu under control through an aggressive programme of vaccinations.

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