Soaring birds

The outbreaks appeared early last month, mainly in small-scale livestock farms where the birds are not vaccinated, according to the Animal Health Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.So far this year, as many as 40 avian flu outbreaks have been detected in 14 localities, including Hanoi and Quang Ninh in the north and other localities in southern and central Vietnam.The department has stressed that the risk for the outbreaks to spread on a larger scale is very high.It has advised people not to cook poultry of unknown origin and not to consume fowl blood pudding, a Vietnamese specialty prepared with raw blood.Vietnam has around 460 million fowl, the department estimates. Around 133,000 had to be culled in 2019 due to avian flu outbreaks.The two avian flu virus strains, H5N6 and H5N1, that have been detected in the ongoing outbreaks spread from poultry to humans through contact with infected faeces or other bodily fluids, and can prove fatal.Bird flu has … [Read more...] about Vietnam culls 100,000 fowl as bird flu looms large

HANOI - Vietnam has culled more 100,000 poultry so far this year in a bid to contain the spread of bird flu in the Southeast Asian country, the government said on Monday. The country has reported outbreaks of the highly pathogenic H5N1 and H5N6 bird flu strains in 14 provinces, the government said in a statement on its website. “The risk for the outbreaks to spread on a larger scale is very high,” the statement said. Vietnam has a poultry flock of around 460 million birds, and small-scale bird flu outbreaks have occurred sporadically in the country during the past few years. … [Read more...] about Vietnam culls 100,000 poultry as bird flu outbreaks spread

The marathon, organized by VnExpress and Hanoi People’s Committee, expected to take place on Nov. 21, has begun selling Super Early Bird tickets, ranging from VMD270,000 ($11.76) to VND810,000 ($35.28). Ticket prices are expected to increase in later stages, encouraging runners to register early and have a head start in preparing for the race. Ticket types Super Early Bird Early Bird Regular Late 5 km 270,000* 325,000 430,000 540,000 10 km 540,000 700,000 865,000 1,080,000 21 km 650,000 810,000 1,025,000 1,295,000 42 km 810,000 975,000 1,190,000 1,405,000 *Vietnamese dong Interested runners can register here . Groups of over 100 people would be offered discounts of up to 28 percent, groups of 50-100 people 20 percent, groups of 30-49, 15 percent, and groups of 10-29, 10 percent. VM Hanoi Midnight on Nov. 28 last year was the first big night marathon staged in Vietnam, with around 5,500 participants … [Read more...] about Second VnExpress Marathon Hanoi Midnight begins super early-bird ticket sales

MOSCOW -- Russia has registered the first case of a strain of bird flu virus named A(H5N8) being passed to humans from birds and has reported the matter to the World Health Organization (WHO), Anna Popova, head of consumer health watchdog Rospotrebnadzor, said on Saturday. Outbreaks of the H5N8 strain have been reported in Russia, Europe, China, the Middle East and North Africa in recent months but so far only in poultry. Other strains - H5N1, H7N9 and H9N2 - have been known here) to spread to humans. Russia reported the case of human infection to the WHO “several days ago, just as we became absolutely certain of our results,” Popova said on Rossiya 24 state TV. There was no sign yet of transmission between humans, she added. Seven workers at a poultry plant in Russia’s south had been infected with the H5N8 strain in an outbreak at the plant in December, Popova said, adding that the individuals involved felt fine now. “This situation did not develop further,” she said. In an … [Read more...] about Russia reports world’s first case of human infection with H5N8 bird flu

Russia has confirmed the first case of human infection with the avian influenza A(H5N8) virus in the world, a Russian sanitary official announced on Saturday. Scientists have isolated the genetic material of this bird flu virus in seven workers of a poultry farm in south Russia, where an outbreak among fowls was reported in December, said Anna Popova, head of the country's consumer rights and human well-being watchdog Rospotrebnadzor. All the necessary measures were taken immediately to protect humans and animals, and the infection did not spread further, she told a briefing. All of the seven people who were infected are now feeling well, with only mild clinical symptoms, Popova said. … [Read more...] about Russia confirms world’s 1st case of human infection with A(H5N8) bird flu virus