Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Thien Nhan on April 15 signed a public notice No. 528/CD-TTg ordering ministries, departments and localities nationwide to intensify the fight against avian influenza H7N9 and H5N1.

Accordingly, the State and local press agencies, with the support of the Ministry of Information and Communications and the municipal and provincial People’s Committees, especially those in northern and southwestern border provinces, must update the situation on a regular basis, especially the harmful effects of poultry smuggling, transport and consumption.

Each citizen is called to notify relevant agencies of activities relating to poultry smuggling, as well as the transport and consumption of smuggled fowls.

Municipal and provincial authorities, and relevant ministries and departments are requested to provide sufficient equipment for those who have regular exposure to poultry.

The Ministries of Public Health and Agriculture and Rural Development are required to closely monitor the situation both at home and abroad, especially in collaboration with relevant agencies to avert the epidemic in the fastest and most cost-effective way.

At the same time, they must keep the locals informed of precautionary measures like hand-washing by soap, glove and mask wearing while contacting with sick or dead fowls.

Leaders of the centrally-governed municipal and provincial People’s Committees must be responsible to the Government for a project approved on December 27, 2012 on clamping down on illegal poultry transport and trading as well as the Ministers of Public Health and Agriculture and Rural Development’s instructions on preventing and dealing with bird flu in their localities.

The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and its member agencies, in coordination with local authorities and departments, must actively and proactively combat the deadly disease in an effective manner.

As many as 60 people in China have by far contracted the H7N9 virus, including 13 fatalities.

In Vietnam , the H5N1 virus is hitting some localities bordering Cambodia .

Illegal transport and trading of smuggled poultry products are posing the highest risk to infection and spread of bird flu.-VNA