The Fujian-like strain had appeared in China’s southern Fujian Province in March 2005 and caused human infection and deaths, the National Steering Committee for Avian Flu Control and Prevention said.

At a meeting of the committee held in Ha Noi on Tuesday, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat said several strains of bird flu virus had been discovered in Viet Nam. They were becoming increasingly dangerous and complex, he warned further.

To prevent outbreaks of the disease around the country, he instructed the Animal Health Department to increase the surveillance on birds being transported from the northern provinces.

Quarantine measures should also be closely monitored to ensure a supply of safe products in the market, he said.

He called on local authorities to crack down on the smuggling of poultry over the China border to prevent the spread of different strains of the virus.

He told provinces to take active measures to prevent outbreaks in winter, the peak season for bird flu.

These measures include a close watch on poultry farms, slaughtering and breeding facilities and hatcheries, as well as ensuring the vaccination of birds.

Earlier this month, bird flu resurfaced in the Mekong Delta province of Tra Vinh, which had last month become the last province in the region to be declared free of the deadly disease.