FMD found in Vietnam

Published: 20 February, 2004

Vietnam's central Quang Nam province has taken action to stop an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, which had affected nearly 2,000 buffalo, 1,000 cattle and 200 pigs by mid-February. The first case was reported in December.

According to the Xinhua news agency, FMD has affected six towns and districts in Quang Nam since the beginning of last month. The province is home to 57,670 buffalo, 176,922 cattle and 542,301 pigs.

The province has increased surveillance on slaughterhouses and meat markets and has so far applied 45,230 vaccinations and used 300 litres of the chemical BKA for detoxification. Local officials have given vaccines to unaffected cattle, sterilised areas, banned transport of animals in the province and slaughtered affected animals.

Pig herds are also being closely monitored in Vietnam with an outbreak of bird flu also affecting the country. Pigs are thought to contract bird flu and could pass on the virus to humans according to experts from the World Health Organisation. The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has advised bird flu-hit countries to closely monitor pig herds.

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