Bird flu has hit Vietnam"e;s southern Dong Thap province over the past few days, bringing the total number of affected localities nationwide to six, according to a local veterinary agency on Wednesday.

Bird flu has killed 1,600 out of 2,600 ducklings in a farm in Thap Muoi district, said the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The affected ducklings are tested positive to bird flu virus strain H5N1, said the department.

To prevent the disease from spreading, Vietnam has so far this year vaccinated 119 million fowls in 60 cities and provinces nationwide, said the department.

Bird flu has hit five Vietnamese provinces, namely Quang Ninh, Son La and Nam Dinh in the northern region, Nghe An in the central region, and Dong Thap in the southern region, and southern Can Tho City since early this month.

Bird flu outbreaks in Vietnam, starting in December 2003, have killed and led to the forced culling of dozens of millions of fowls in the country.

Source: Xinhua