HANOI, May 30 (Xinhua) -- Bird flu has stricken two more Vietnamese provinces, raising the total number of affected localities nationwide to 12, according to a local veterinary agency on Wednesday.

    The disease on May 27 killed 180 white-winged ducks out of a total flock of 230 fowls raised by a household in Binh Luc district, northern Ha Nam province, the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said, noting that specimens from the affected poultry have been tested positive to bird flu virus strain H5N1.

    Over the past few days, bird flu also killed 1,100 ducks out of a total of 7,460 waterfowls raised by three households in Huong Canh town, northern Vinh Phuc province. All the infected ducks were not vaccinated against the disease. Meanwhile, new outbreaks have been detected in southern Can Tho city and the two northern provinces of Ninh Binh and Nam Dinh.

    Bird flu, starting to strike Vietnam in December 2003, has hit 12 Vietnamese cities and provinces, namely Quang Ninh, Son La, NamDinh, Hai Phong, Bac Giang, Ninh Binh, Bac Ninh, Ha Nam and Vinh Phuc in the northern region, Nghe An in the central region, and Can Tho and Dong Thap in the southern one, since early this month, the department said.