Ducks die in Southern Vietnam

The week of July 4th, around 1,000 ducks died in Southern Vietnam (Tra Vinh province). Reports indicate the ducks were not vaccinated and included this comment:

"Although Vietnam has been culling and vaccinating poultry for several years, H5N1 remains endemic in the area and is continuously reported in unvaccinated birds.However, recent reports from Hong Kong and Egypt raise concerns that the current vaccination approaches have limited utility, and the continuing reports of H5N1 in Vietnam may reflect these shortcomings."

It's true that number of countries are looking at the long term sustainability and efficacy of mass poultry vaccination. One alternative option being considered is improved surveillance now that the virus is considered endemic in some places.

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/07080801/H5N1_Vietnam_Persistence.html