Ducks have recently died in Vietnam's southern Kien Giang province, local newspaper Youth reported Tuesday.

Forty ducks in a flock of over 1,200 fowls have died in the last few days, the newspaper quoted Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Do Huu Hung as saying. Specimens from the dead waterfowls are being tested for bird flu viruses.

Several thousands of ducks in Vietnam's southern Soc Trang province were also reported to have died in the last few days. On Monday, Bac Lieu, one of three southern provinces which have detected bird flu outbreaks since December 2006, declared the disease in its territory.

Bird flu has, since last December, hit 33 communes in 15 districts in the three southern provinces of Ca Mau, Bac Lieu and Hau Giang, according to the Department of Animal Health under the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on Monday.

It has killed some 6,000 poultry, and led to the forced culling of nearly 23,000 others, mainly ducks and chickens.Bird flu outbreaks, starting in Vietnam in December 2003, have led to the forced culling of dozens of millions of fowls in the country.

(Xinhuanet)