HANOI, Jan. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Twenty flu type A infections have been confirmed out of the total 65 cases of infections and suspects in Vietnam, a Vietnamese health official told Xinhua on Friday.

    "By Thursday afternoon, there were 65 cases of infections and suspects, including 60 in the north and five in the south," said Hoang Thuy Long, director of Vietnam's Hygiene and Epidemiology Institute.

    The flu type A infections and suspects live in 15 localities. Most of the patients had contacts to infected poultry or ate sick or dead chickens.

    Local media reported on Friday that bird flu cases had been found in 34 out of the total 64 localities nationwide.

    In central localities, several farms in Binh Dinh have reported deaths of hens and cocks in the past few days. The local relevant agencies have destroyed nearly 5,000 chickens. In Quang Nam province, chicken deaths have been detected in two communes in Thang Binh district, and culled all of the flocks of 850.

    Meanwhile, Ho Chi Minh City has kept on taking preventive measures. The city has destroyed 90 percent of its bird population. The city will focus its surveillance on chicken-raising households and restaurants, and disinfect its zoo as a precaution, said HuynhHuu Loi, director of Ho Chi Minh City Veterinarian Department.     

    But people in some southern provinces have shown weak determination in eliminating bird flu. Residents in Dong Nai stilltrade fowls and eat their meat and eggs. The provincial authorities of Binh Duong and Binh Phuoc have not made final decision to give financial assistance to farmers who want to kill poultry.

    On Jan. 28, Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai decided to establish a national steering committee on bird flu, which is headed by Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Le Huy Ngo.     

    The committee will build up plans to coordinate relevant ministries and sectors in dealing with bird flu, and inspect the anti-bird flu activities nationwide.

    The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has printed leaflets to inform people of bird flu situation in the country and proper preventive measures. Enditem