HANOI, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Bird flu has recently stricken poultry in the Vietnamese southern Ca Mau province, raising the total number of currently affected localities nationwide to eight, local newspaper People's Army reported Friday.

    The daily quoted the Vietnamese Department of Animal Health as saying that the disease outbreak started on March 16 in the Nam Can district, killing 30 in a flock of 90 white-feathered ducks raised by a household. The whole flock of poultry has been culled to prevent further spread.

    Vietnam currently has eight localities having poultry being hitby bird flu: Tuyen Quang, Hanoi, Lao Cai in the northern region, Quang Tri, Quang Binh and Quang Nam in the central region, and SocTrang and Ca Mau in the southern one.

    Bird flu outbreaks in Vietnam, starting in December 2003, have killed and led to the forced culling of dozens of millions of fowls in the country.