Ministry instructs strong measures to prevent H7N9 avian flu
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued an urgent notice requiring strong measures to prevent avian influenza viruses including H7N9 from entering Vietnam.
Hanoi (VNA) – TheMinistry of Agriculture and Rural Development has issued an urgent noticerequiring centrally-run cities and provinces, especially border localities,ministries and agencies to deploy strong measures to prevent avian influenzaviruses including H7N9 from entering Vietnam.
Accordingly, they were asked toban the transport, trading, slaughter, and consumption of poultry and itsproducts imported illegally across the border, including in the form ofpresenting as gifts between organisations, individuals and border residents.
Communications campaigns shouldbe held to raise public awareness of the danger of avian flu and urge farminghouseholds to buy breeding poultry of clear origin from prestigious dealers.
The Minister of Agriculture andRural Development asked localities to work closely with public security,customs and medical sectors to give timely response in case of any avian fluoutbreak.
In order to promptly discoverA/H7N9 virus and other virus strains, relevant agencies must regularly takesamples from live poultry for testing.
According to the World HealthOrganisation (WHO), China recorded 109 infections of A/H7N9 virus in January,raising the total number of A/H7N9 cases in the country since the first casewas detected in February 2013 to 1,174, with 417 fatalities.
The United Nations Food andAgriculture Organisation (FAO) also reported that China found 26 poultrysamples positive with H7N9 virus and 33 others positive with H7 virus.
Meanwhile, the World Organisationfor Animal Health said avian flu H5N2, H5N8 and H5N6 broke out in China thisJanuary. Therefore, there are high risks that avian flu A/H7N9 and otherstrains of flu virus can enter Vietnam through smuggled poultry.-VNA
Vietnam has not detected any new influenza strains or mutations that increase toxicity or are drug resistant, said the Ministry of Health’s Preventive Medicine Department (PMD) on March 5.
Vietnam has so far recorded no infections of A/H7N9 poultry influenza; however, the country is intensifying measures to prevent the virus given the new outbreak in neighbouring China.
Vietnam has so far recorded no A/H7N9 and A/H9N2 avian flu cases, but needs to be vigilant over the disease, which is developing complicatedly in neighbouring China.
Vietnam has so far recorded no infections of human A/H7N9 avian flu, however, the country is promoting efforts to prevent the entry of virus, which caused a new outbreak in neighbouring China.
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Illustrative image (Source: VNA) 
