Vietnam steps up nationwide avian influenza control

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Vietnam is strengthening nationwide efforts to contain avian influenza (AI) following a series of outbreaks since early 2026.

The Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health has issued Official Document No. 2685/CNTY-DT, urging provincial and municipal Departments of Agriculture and Environment to act swiftly. The directive emphasizes rapid elimination of outbreaks, accelerated vaccination, and tighter controls on poultry movement, slaughter, and trade to reduce risks of further spread and zoonotic transmission.

Outbreaks persist amid weak vaccination coverage

According to the Vietnam Animal Health Information System (VAHIS), from the beginning of 2026 to date:

• Outbreak situation: A total of 80 avian influenza outbreaks have been reported in 73 communes and wards across 17 provinces and cities, with more than 349,400 poultry dying or being culled.
• Active outbreaks: As of now, 26 outbreaks remain active (within the 21-day monitoring period) across nine localities. Ninh Binh reported six outbreaks, followed by Thanh Hoa (5), Cao Bang (4), and Nghe An (3).

Vaccination progress during the first campaign of 2026 remains unsatisfactory.

Nationwide coverage has reached only 51.44%, equivalent to more than 127 million vaccinated birds out of approximately 247 million eligible poultry. Several provinces have reported particularly low vaccination rates, including Lam Dong (0.51%), Tuyen Quang (2.32%), Da Nang (3.48%), Lai Chau (3.72%), Gia Lai (8.60%), and Thai Nguyen (18.78%).

Authorities warn that ongoing poultry restocking, transport, and trade, combined with weak biosecurity in small-scale farms, heighten the risk of renewed outbreaks, particularly in previously affected areas and regions with poor vaccination coverage.

Rapid elimination and risk-based vaccination

To contain the disease, provincial authorities must strictly enforce the Veterinary Law and Decision No. 779/QD-TTg.

In active outbreak areas, local authorities are required to:

• Deploy veterinary officers to conduct epidemiological investigations and collect samples to determine the extent of infection.
• Immediately cull infected or suspected poultry and carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection of affected premises.
• Strictly manage the declaration and lifting of outbreaks in accordance with regulations, with penalties for concealment, emergency sales, or improper carcass disposal.

Vaccination campaigns should prioritize updated poultry population data, especially backyard flocks. Vaccines must be allocated to infected zones, buffer areas, dense production regions, live bird markets, and collection points. Authorities are urged to select strains that match circulating viruses to improve effectiveness.

Strengthened surveillance and One Health coordination

Beyond containment, the directive calls for intensified surveillance. Samples must be collected at wholesale markets, collection centers, and slaughterhouses to track virus circulation, particularly the A/H5 subtype. Findings will guide vaccination strategies.

Law enforcement agencies, market surveillance authorities, and border forces must strengthen inspections to prevent the illegal poultry trade.

The Department also urges stricter implementation of the One Health approach, requiring immediate communication with human health agencies when outbreaks or high-risk AI viruses are detected. This will enable timely public health surveillance and prevention of human infections.

Farmers should apply strict biosecurity, avoid restocking until disease risks have been eliminated, and disinfect poultry houses regularly.

Reporting requirements for high-risk provinces

The Department requires all local authorities to ensure complete and accurate reporting through the VAHIS system and to verify any discrepancies in disease data.

For the nine provinces and cities where outbreaks remain active, local authorities must conduct on-site inspections of every outbreak, prepare action plans identifying outstanding tasks and completion timelines, update outbreak developments in VAHIS on a daily basis, and submit weekly progress reports to the Department before 4:00 p.m. every Friday until all outbreaks are officially declared over.