Hundreds of free-range ducks at a pond in the central province of Binh Dinh. Health authorities have warned such practices render the area vulnerable to a bird flu epidemic.

Vietnam Saturday registered its first bird flu fatality since March 2008 as 23-year-old Ly Tai Mui of Quang Ninh Province succumbed to the virus.

Five days later, doctors confirmed she had been infected with the H5N1 virus, the deadly strain of avian flu.

Doctors say she failed to respond to treatment and her condition worsened steadily. She died after 18 days of treatment in the hospital.

The body of Mui was sent to her hometown Saturday.

Quang Ninh, where the world renowned Ha Long Bay is located, is about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Hanoi.

Quang Ninh provincial authorities also said Saturday that another local commune has been hit by bird flu, bringing the total so far to three communes this year.

Three bird flu cases have been reported over the last two months, including that of Mui.

The Ministry of Health reported the latest case last Monday after a 32-yearold man from the northern province of Ninh Binh tested positive for the H5N1 virus.

An eight-year-old girl from the north-central province of Thanh Hoa recovered after several days of treatment in the hospital, but her elder sister had died weeks earlier without being tested for the virus.

Mui is the 53rd person to die of avian flu in Vietnam since 2003, the world’s second highest toll after Indonesia, where the virus has killed 115 people.

The H5N1 avian influenza virus mainly kills animals but scientists fear it could mutate and easily spread among human beings, sparking a global pandemic.

Last year, sporadic outbreaks of H5N1 were reported in 27 provinces in Vietnam. Five people were reported to have contracted the virus, and all of them died.

In 2007, eight human cases were reported, five of which were fatal.

So far this year, at least 10 Vietnamese provinces have reported bird flu outbreaks: Ninh Binh, Bac Ninh and Quang Ninh in the north; Nghe An, Quang Tri and Khanh Hoa in the central region; and Soc Trang, Hau Giang, Bac Lieu, and Ca Mau in the Mekong Delta.

A province is considered bird-flu hit if it is affected by the epidemic for at least 21 days.

On Friday, the Animal Health Bureau reported that blue ear disease has infected 150 pigs in the central province of Quang Nam and 65 others in Quang Ninh Province’s Yen Hai Commune.

The blue ear disease, also known as the Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), causes appetite loss, high fever, premature birth, miscarriage, respiratory problems, and death in extreme cases.

Seven northern and central provinces have reported outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease.

Foot-and-mouth is a highly contagious disease affecting animals with divided hooves. Upon infection, the animal develops ulcers in the mouth and near the hooves.

Health officials are worried that though livestock diseases are spreading nationwide, people have yet to realize the seriousness of the problem and are not taking due precautionary measures.

Chicken and poultry products are still being sold in large quantities in many affected provinces despite a ban. Many sellers said they did not care about the diseases or understand how dangerous they are.

Source: TN, Agencies