Two youths from Vietnam´s central Quang Binh province have recently died suspectedly of bird flu, said a local doctor on Saturday.

    A 14-year-old girl from Quang Trach district died on Oct. 23, two days after being admitted to the Vietnam-Cuba Hospital in Quang Binh, and a 26-year-old man from Bo Trach district died on Oct. 26, just one hour after being hospitalized, said the hospital´s doctor on condition of anonymity.

    According to the man´s relatives, he had bought semi-processed duck at a local market for meal at home. The girl´s relatives said she had eaten a chicken egg before exhibiting bird flu symptoms.

    The doctor said the two patients developed many symptoms similar to bird flu ones. They had fever and suffered from severe pneumonia.

    At a press briefing on Friday, Bui Quang Anh, director of the Vietnam Veterinary Department, said Vietnam has, since early this month, spotted two bird flu outbreaks: one in southern Dong Thap province and another in southern Bac Lieu province. Some 400 out of a flock of 600 ducks in Dong Thap, and part of a flock of more than 1,000 ducks in Bac Lieu died of bird flu.

    Vietnam is facing a high risk of large bird flu outbreaks, especially in the southern Mekong Delta and the northern Red Riverdelta, since weather conditions are favorable for the development of bird flu viruses, he said. Besides, Vietnam is home to many wild birds, while some countries in the world have detected a number of wild birds being infected with bird flu.

    Vietnam´s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Friday decided to cease import of all kinds of poultry and ornamental birds between November 2005 and March 2006. Also on Friday, the People´s Committee ordered residents to stop raising fowls by Nov. 15, ornamental bird sections in entertainment areas to cease receiving visitors, and traders to stop selling or buyingornamental birds.

    To prevent new outbreaks, Vietnam is speeding up vaccination among fowls nationwide. The country has used nearly 70 million vaccine doses out of 140 million doses imported from China and TheNetherlands. It has targeted to vaccinate some 60 million fowls by the end of next month.