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Vietnam officials work to stop smuggling, more AI found in Hanoi
Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung has spoken with officials of
Thailand's northern Lang Son Province about strengthening the fight against
cross-border poultry smuggling.
Hung stressed the importance of preventing the return of avian
flu while on a visit to the province, about 150km from Ha Noi, last
Saturday.
Since then, there has been a further outbreak of bird flu detected at markets
in Hanoi. Vietnam's government discovered the bird flu virus through random
sampling on live ducks at a market.
The Animal Health Department has banned hatching of ducks after Friday in an
effort to prevent the virus from spreading.
In Lang Son, the local anti-smuggling force had confiscated and destroyed
over 70 tonnes of chicken, 92 pigs, 83 cows and tonnes of poultry products
illegally imported from neighbouring countries since March, according to local
reports.
Though local veterinarians sent 60 samples for testing, all of them tested
negative. However, with the spread of avian flu looming, Lang Son has set up
quarantine check-points on inter-provincial traffic routes.
Most of poultry sold in the area at restaurants and markets is said to be
from illicit birds.
Animal health department staff say that all of the birds smuggled from China
are hens and only their large combs and big ovaries distinguish them from local
birds. But as both of these parts are removed by butchers before the birds go to
market, customers cannot distinguish between illicit and local poultry.
Smuggling
has been blamed for the spread of AI throughout Asia.
Editor WorldPoultry
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