He said the latest outbreak of bird flu in Tra Vinh province, in southern Vietnam, was successfully brought under control three weeks ago.
"So, we have enough evidence, according to international public health standards, to be able to declare complete control over the disease across the whole country," the official said.
At the same time, local veterinary services are warning about the possibility of another outbreak of bird flu by February 2008.
The outbreak could be caused by the onset of cold weather, which the virus favors, as well as an increase in demand for poultry around Vietnamese New Year, celebrated in February.
The last outbreaks of bird flu in Vietnam were registered in December 2006 and May 2007, when the deadly virus claimed the lives of four people and local authorities had to cull about 400,000 birds.
