Five Vietnamese provinces have yet to meet criteria for announcing an end to bird flu outbreaks in their territory, according to a local animal health agency Tuesday.

Now, 12 communes in the three northern provinces of Ninh Binh, Ha Giang and Cao Bang and the two central provinces of Nghe An and Quang Tri are still facing bird flu outbreaks, said the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Sixteen other localities, including 14 in north, one in centraland one in south parts of the country have detected no new outbreaks for at least three weeks, meeting the criteria.

Since Oct. 1, 2005, a total of 21 cities and provinces of Vietnam have been hit by bird flu, killing and leading to the forced culling of nearly four million fowls, the department said.