Bird flu hit northern Quang Ninh province of Vietnam, raising the total number of provinces affected by the disease to five, said the Department of Animal Health of Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development here on Tuesday.

    The epidemic has broken out in nine local fowl raising farms, killing 155 fowls out of 230, said the department.

    Samples of dead chicken were tested positive for the bird flu virus, said the provincial animal health department.

    In a related development, the Ministry of Health recently confirmed that a women from Quang Ninh province was infected with bird flu, according to Tuesday´s Vietnamese newspaper Liberty Saigon. It is the country´s 2nd human case of bird flu this year.

    The local animal health agency is taking drastic measures to put out the spread of avian flu.

    Five provinces of Vietnam nationwide have been so far hit by avian flu, including three provinces in Mekong Delta, namely Ca Mau, Soc Trang and Hau Giang, one central province of Nghe An, and the newly-confirmed northern province of Quang Ninh, said the department.