Relation between the poultry production systems and the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Vietnam

In 2003, the poultry population was about 254.6 millions heads. The poultry herd is mainly concentrated in the Red River Delta (RRD) and in the Mekong Delta with about 50% of poultry population. The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza caused by H5N1 virus was removed in almost of provinces in Vietnam from 2004 until now but millions of birds were culled to reach this situation and it had large economical and sociological impacts. A question emerge: how can we limit this epidemic? A research on the relation between poultry production systems and the HPAI had been carried out in two provinces: Ha Tay (RRD) and Long An (Mekong Delta) from March to August 2007. The results showed that there are three principal poultry production systems which are commercial poultry production systems with good breeding facilities (system 1); commercial poultry production systems without good breeding facilities (system 2), and small scale poultry production system (system 3). The number of birds reared in the commercial systems was more important than that of the small system, conversely the number of species rising in the system 2 and 3 was more important than in the system 1. The proportion of households having poultry herd with HPAI in the period of 2003-2005 in the system 2 and 3 were more important than that of the system 1 (21-59% compare with 33-36%). The study had showed that all poultry belonging to the system 1 were vaccinated; when the proportion of vaccinated animals were about 87-90% for the system 2, and 58% for the system 3.