Illustrative image (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – The
has issued an urgent notice
requiring centrally-run cities and provinces, especially border localities,
ministries and agencies to deploy strong measures to prevent
viruses including H7N9 from entering Vietnam.
Accordingly, they were asked to
ban the transport, trading, slaughter, and consumption of poultry and its
products imported illegally across the border, including in the form of
presenting as gifts between organisations, individuals and border residents.
Communications campaigns should
be held to raise public awareness of the danger of avian flu and urge farming
households to buy breeding poultry of clear origin from prestigious dealers.
The Minister of Agriculture and
Rural Development asked localities to work closely with public security,
customs and medical sectors to give timely response in case of any avian flu
outbreak.
In order to promptly discover
A/ virus and other virus strains, relevant agencies must regularly take
samples from live poultry for testing.
According to the World Health
Organisation (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 case
was detected in February 2013 to 1,174, with 417 fatalities.
The United Nations Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) also reported that China found 26 poultry
samples positive with H7N9 virus and 33 others positive with H7 virus.
Meanwhile, the World Organisation
for Animal Health said avian flu H5N2, H5N8 and H5N6 broke out in China this
January. Therefore, there are high risks that avian flu A/H7N9 and other
strains of flu virus can enter Vietnam through smuggled poultry.-VNA
Source: VietnamPlus
