Nearly 5,000 salangane birds, which are raised by local people in Vietnam´s central Phan Rang city were found dead and said to be infected with avian flu strain H5N1, reported local Tuoi Tre newspaper on Friday.

According to Vice Chairwoman of Phan Rang City People´s Committee Nguyen Thi Hue, from March 28 to April 11, about 4,900 salangane birds out of the flock´s 10,000 heads raised by the Yen Viet Company Limited were found dead in Phan Rang City of Ninh Thuan province. Among the dying birds to be tested at the local Veterinary Department 6, eight samples were found positive to the avian flu strain H5N1.

This is the first time man-raised salangane birds were found dead in Vietnam because of the avian flu strain H5N1, so there is not yet specific measures to control the expansion of the disease, except those applied to the H5N1-infected poultry, said Nguyen Xuan Binh, director of the Veterinary Department 6.

Since news about the death of H5N1 infected salangane birds were reported, local veterinary agencies had brought samples of the young and grown-up salangane birds, and their manures and nests to be tested, whose results would not be announced until April 16.

Meanwhile, strict supervision is applied to 54 salangane breeding houses in Phan Rang City, until final results of the tests are reported.

Preventive measures are also implemented in other localities where salangane birds are breeding en mass, including central Khanh Hoa province, southern Tien Giang province and Ho Chi Minh City.

Specifically, 12 salangane samples from Can Gio district (HCM City) are now being tested at the HCM City Veterinary Department, Phan Xuan Thao, head of the department told Tuoi Tre reporter, adding that in 2012 and during the first quarter of this year, the department had tested 94 samples of the salangane, and all results showed negative to the H5N1 virus.

Salangane birds are raised for the high nutritious value of their nest. Currently in Vietnam, one kilo of salangane nests is sold from 125 U.S. dollars to 158 U.S. dollars depending on their quality.