HANOI, Jan. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- An unidentified virus, which has recently killed hundreds of thousands of poultry in Vietnam's southern region, is spreading to a northern province.

    As many as 81,000 hens and cocks in the northern province of HaTay have died of the disease pasteurella multocida plus an unidentified kind of virus. Many ducks in the locality have also died with strange symptoms, according to local media on Friday.

    The disease and the virus were reported to strike the two southern provinces of Long An and Tien Giang first, which have so far infected nearly 700,000 hens and cocks there.

    The Veterinary Department under the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development said the virus can strongly resist antibiotics, but failing to identify its characteristics and origin. It has proposed the government to send samples abroad for testing.

    Nguyen Thanh Son, in charge of animal husbandry at the ministry's Agriculture Department, said the poultry disease can originate from imported hens and cocks that are raised in poor conditions inVietnam.

    The country's Prime Minister has sent an official telegram to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and relevant sectors and localities, asking them to take concrete measures to stop the spreading of the epidemic.

    Local agencies are strengthening preventive measures such as incinerating and burying infected poultry, disinfecting poultry farms, and inspecting cases of transporting suspected chicken.

    Vietnam has been unable to find out whether the unidentified virus is similar to the one which causes bird flu in other countries or not. Enditem