In anurgent dispatch sent to chairs of municipal and provincial People’s Committeeson February 21, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development asked them toset up disinfectant sites in northern mountainous provinces.
Farms andfowl slaughter and egg incubation facilities will provide funding and materialsfor the activity under the watch of local authorities and vets.
At bordergates, animal quarantine agencies will work with border officials to arrangedisinfectant sites and sterilise vehicles transporting animal products viaborder gates.
Communalauthorities will send antiseptic spraying teams to farming households and fowlmarkets in rural areas, village streets and animal storage facilities.
Accordingto the World Organisation for Animal Health, avian flu H5N2, H5N8 and H5N6broke out in China this January. Therefore, there are high risks that avian fluA/H7N9 and other strains of flu virus could enter Vietnam.
Aftertesting avian flu viruses in live fowl markets in 32 cities and provinces nationwidelast year, the Department of Animal Health and the United Nations Food andAgriculture Organisation found that the rates of H5N6 and H5N1 infection amongchickens are 1.89 percent and 0.94 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, therespective infection rates among ducks are 6.7 percent and 1.63 percent.
The H5N6and H5N1 infection rates in the environment are 2.9 percent and 2.07percent.-VNA