HANOI, July 16 (Xinhuanet) -- The authorities of southern Ba Ria Vung Tau province, on Thursday, affirmed that bird flu has just been detected in a chicken farm in its resort city of Vung Tau.

    Samples taken from dead chickens in the farm were tested positive to avian influenza virus H5N1, Nguyen Dinh Bao, head of the provincial Animal Health Bureau, said Friday.

    There is only one farm in Ba Ria Vung Tau that have had chickens dying en masse due to the virus, he noted, adding that nonew sick poultry was reported by Thursday afternoon.

    Meanwhile, another southern province, Binh Duong, has just reported that a number of samples taken from fowls in its Thu Dau Mot town are tested positive to H5N1, although no chicken deaths occur. Affected poultry have been culled.

    Earlier, Vietnam's Animal Health Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development affirmed new outbreaks of bird flu in seven southern localities, including the city of Can Tho and six provinces of Bac Lieu, Hau Giang, Tra Vinh, Dong Thap, Vinh Long and Tien Giang, which killed or led to the forced slaughtering of over 35,000 chickens and ducks and 13,000 quails between late last month and middle this month.

    To curb potential spread, the ministry has urged cities and provinces nationwide, especially once bird flu-hit localities and border areas, to strengthen surveillance on transport and trade ofpoultry and their eggs. Many localities have established quarantine checkpoints along main roads leading to their territory.

    In late March 2004, Vietnam declared an end to bird flu that killed 17 percent of its poultry population, and claimed 16 human lives since its outbreak in December 2003. A total of 43.2 millionfowls nationwide either died or were culled, causing the local poultry industry to suffer direct losses of 1.3 trillion Vietnamese dong (82.8 million US dollars). Enditem