The Prime Minister has requested ministries, agencies and localities tostrengthen the fight against avian influenza by cracking down oncross-border smuggling of poultry and poultry products, in the contextof the rise of a wide range of new virus strains in regional countriesand territories.
The PM’s urgent notice No. 133/CD-TTg issuedon January 23 said there are high risks for new strains of avian fluviruses like H7N9, H10N8, H5N1, H5N2, H6N1 which are found in bothhumans and animals to enter Vietnam through illegal poultry and poultryproducts trading as well as visitors from countries with epidemics.
Therefore, to minimize the risks, relevant agencies and localitiesmust continue to keep up efforts in implementing earlier instructions onbird flu prevention and anti-smuggling fight, the notice said.
The Ministry of Information and Communications is instructed to workwith relevant ministries, agencies, local authorities and the mass mediato raise public awareness of the fight, helping them understand thehealth risk of contraband poultry and products with ambiguous origin aswell as the harm they pose to domestic farmers.
Precautionarymeasures to prevent virus transmission on both humans and animals willalso be introduced to the public along the way.
At the sametime, the PM asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,the Ministry of Public Health and localities, particularly border areasto keep close check of the situation at home and neighbouring countries,including cross-border travelling, live fowl markets and patients withflu symptoms.
They were also required to get ready an urgentaction plan in response to dangerous flu viruses that potentially infecthumans.
The World Health Organisation and regional countriesreported that 147 people were infected with H7N9 virus with 47 deaths inChina, Hong Kong and Taiwan last year. Meanwhile, 38 werediagnosed suffering from H5N1 virus and 24 lost their lives. On January20, Vietnam also recorded its first death from this virus in thesouthern province of Binh Phuoc.
Since early 2014, neighbouring China has detected 11 cases of H7N9, including four deaths.
According to the World Veterinary Organisation, H5N1 outbreaksappeared in 13 countries last year. On December 21, 2013 , thehighly-pathogenic H5N2 virus was found on domestic and wild birds inHebei, China-VNA
The PM’s urgent notice No. 133/CD-TTg issuedon January 23 said there are high risks for new strains of avian fluviruses like H7N9, H10N8, H5N1, H5N2, H6N1 which are found in bothhumans and animals to enter Vietnam through illegal poultry and poultryproducts trading as well as visitors from countries with epidemics.
Therefore, to minimize the risks, relevant agencies and localitiesmust continue to keep up efforts in implementing earlier instructions onbird flu prevention and anti-smuggling fight, the notice said.
The Ministry of Information and Communications is instructed to workwith relevant ministries, agencies, local authorities and the mass mediato raise public awareness of the fight, helping them understand thehealth risk of contraband poultry and products with ambiguous origin aswell as the harm they pose to domestic farmers.
Precautionarymeasures to prevent virus transmission on both humans and animals willalso be introduced to the public along the way.
At the sametime, the PM asked the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development,the Ministry of Public Health and localities, particularly border areasto keep close check of the situation at home and neighbouring countries,including cross-border travelling, live fowl markets and patients withflu symptoms.
They were also required to get ready an urgentaction plan in response to dangerous flu viruses that potentially infecthumans.
The World Health Organisation and regional countriesreported that 147 people were infected with H7N9 virus with 47 deaths inChina, Hong Kong and Taiwan last year. Meanwhile, 38 werediagnosed suffering from H5N1 virus and 24 lost their lives. On January20, Vietnam also recorded its first death from this virus in thesouthern province of Binh Phuoc.
Since early 2014, neighbouring China has detected 11 cases of H7N9, including four deaths.
According to the World Veterinary Organisation, H5N1 outbreaksappeared in 13 countries last year. On December 21, 2013 , thehighly-pathogenic H5N2 virus was found on domestic and wild birds inHebei, China-VNA
