An A/H5N6 bird flu outbreak was detected in northern Vietnam's Quang Ninh province, resulting in nearly 1,000 poultry culled, the Vietnam News Agency reported on Wednesday.

Detected in mid-December in Song Khoai commune, it was the fourth bird flu outbreak reported in Quang Ninh province this year, according to the provincial Department of Livestock and Animal Health.

The outbreak occurred as local breeders failed to control the transmission risks and did not register their new stocks, the news agency reported.

So far this year, the bird flu has affected 84 communes of 28 provinces and cities in Vietnam, while African swine fever has influenced over 1,500 communes of 50 provinces and cities, according to the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

The ministry has asked relevant authorities to "deploy resources and implement drastic measures" to proactively control diseases including African swine fever, bird flu and foot and mouth disease, so as to ensure food supply ahead of, during and after the Lunar New Year, which will fall in February next year.