Vietnam's central Quang Nam province has just been stricken by bird flu, raising the total number of affected localities since early October to 22nd of this month, according to local newspaper Young People on Thursday.

Three out of dozens of samples from fowls in the three communes of the two districts of Thang Binh and Nui Thanh were tested positive to bird flu virus strain H5N1, the newspaper quoted Nguyen Ngoc Quang, vice chairman of the provincial People's Committee, as saying.

The committee has decided to cull all poultry in the three communes to prevent the disease from spreading. However, Quang Namhas yet to find suitable locations for burying the poultry, since many areas in the province are being flooded with rainwater and river water.

On Wednesday, the Department of Animal Health under Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development announced that nine localities have met the criteria (detecting no new outbreaks for at least three weeks), namely Bac Giang, Hoa Binh, Thai Binh, HungYen, Long An, Hai Duong, Phu Tho, Quang Ninh and Bac Ninh.

Since Oct. 1, a total of 22 cities and provinces of Vietnam have been hit by bird flu, which has killed and led to the forced culling of nearly 3.7 million fowls.

In order to prevent the disease from spreading, the ministry has recently proposed the government allow the slaughter of all ducks, which are raised freely in fields and canals.