Vietnam: Villagers scared, officials complacent

Thanh Nien Daily still hasn't reported the strange case of the Thuong sisters, but this story throws a new light on how the country is dealing with B2B H5N1: Unexplained duck deaths scare Quang Nam villagers. The whole report:

Hundreds of ducks have died for unclear reasons in the last few days in Loc Ngoc Village in central Quang Nam Province’s Nui Thanh District, triggering panic among its residents. 

They say they have brought the problem to the attention of local government agencies, but no attention has been paid to it, either at the commune or district level. 

However, head of the Quang Nam Province’s Animal Health Department, Pham Ngoc Anh, said Tuesday that the local authorities were keeping a close watch on the epidemic. 

What is most worrying is that Loc Ngoc Village borders Tam Ky Town and poultry from the village is taken to the town’s market for sale. 

If local authorities do not act now, it could lead to very serious problems, residents fear.

This is a bit of a reversal: Usually, it's the authorities who blame the villagers for not paying attention to outbreaks and sick poultry.