Suspect birds sold in Vietnam

Vietnam's top veterinary officials say that nearly 900,000 chickens believed exposed to a deadly bird virus were sold to the public before the country ordered a mass cull, and that the sales pose a serious threat to the public's health.

"There's been nearly 900,000 chickens that farmers have sold to the market from the beginning of January, mostly from Long An and Tien Giang provinces," said Nguyen Van Thong, deputy director of the veterinary department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

"We have no idea whether these chickens were killed and eaten or slaughtered," he said. "This poses a threat of the disease spreading."