Tests confirmed that 10 ducks found dead on a farm in Thai Phuc Commune, Thai Thuî District, Thai Binh Province last week were infected with the deadly H5N1 strain. The poultry flock, which included 120 chickens and 650 ducklings, were found to be unvaccinated, said the provincial authorities.

Hung Yen Province was also hit by the disease last week, which killed hundreds of unvaccinated ducks in a short period of time. After tests confirmed the virus in the one and a half-month-old ducklings on a farm in Dinh Cao, Phu Cu District, authorities slaughtered the remaining birds in the flock and disinfected the surrounding area.

These brought the total number of provinces having seen outbreaks of the disease since early May to 15, namely Nghe An, Nam Dinh, Son La, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Bac Giang, Dong Thap, Can Tho, Ninh Binh, Bac Ninh, Vinh Phuc, Ha Nam, Quang Nam, Hung Yen and Thai Binh.

Up to 12 provinces on the list are located in the north, which according to the department shows a lack of strict management in poultry quarantines and transport.

So far, 41 provinces and cities have completed the first round of poultry vaccinations for the year. The full yearly vaccination includes two boosters and each booster requires two injections.

The country’s two victims of bird flu this year, who both tested positive for the deadly H5N1 virus, were taken off critical condition and are showing continued signs of improvement.

Doctor Nguyen Huy Nga, director of the Preventive Medicine Department, said there have been only two human cases of bird flu in the country over the past 17 months. Other cases that were initially thought to be bird flu because of clinical similarities to the H5N1 virus were found later to be unrelated, he said.