Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat Thursday asked ministries, sectors and localities to apply strict bird flu controls next month.

The ministry also suggested that provinces, which lack vaccines, should apply to the Department of Animal Health today for additional supplies, Phat said.

So far this year, 13 provinces and cities have been badly hit by bird flu, with a total of more than 52,000 fowl culled, equalling nearly half of last year’s total, department head Bui Quang Anh said at the meeting.

Currently, 11 bird flu-hit localities still haven’t controlled the epidemic, he said.

Over the past two months, bird flu has also infected three people in the country, killing one of them, Anh said.

Reported by Quang Duan