Vietnam′s northern Ha Giang province has been stricken by bird flu, raising the total confirmed number of affected localities to 14 since early October.

    Samples from 41 fowls in Bac Quang district, which died late last month, were tested positive to bird flu virus strain H5, the Department of Animal Health under the country′s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced Wednesday.

    A total of 24 localities nationwide have detected poultry deaths since Oct. 1. Tests showed that poultry in the two central provinces of Quang Nam and Quang Ngai, and the southern province of Dong Thap were not infected with bird flu viruses.

    Specimens from suspected poultry in the northern province of Yen Bai are being tested for the viruses. The capital of Hanoi, the three northern provinces of Thai Binh, Hoa Binh and Hung Yen, and the two southern provinces of Bac Lieu and Long An have met criteria for announcing an end to bird flu outbreaks (detecting nonew affected spots for at least three weeks). Therefore, the current number of bird flu-hit localities is only 14, said the department.

    Vietnam is actively vaccinating fowls nationwide. Over 174 million poultry turns (each dose for a fowl being considered one turn, two doses for the same fowl regarded as two turns) have been vaccinated so far.

    The country′s Health Ministry on Tuesday confirmed 66 human cases of H5N1 infections, including 22 fatalities, in 25 cities and provinces since December 2004, bringing the total respective numbers since December 2003 to 93 and 42.

    According to local media late last month, a three-year-old boy from southern Tien Giang province, who has remained hospitalized, is infected with bird flu according to initial tests. The ministry has yet to confirm this case.

    The Health Ministry has just stipulated that anti-bird flu medicines branded Tamiflu are not freely traded in the market, but used by hospitals for treatment of bird flu patients, to ensure national reserve and avoid drug abuse among the general population.