A senior official of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has warned of a high risk of avian influenza A/H5N1 spread in the country before and after the Lunar New (Tet) holiday.
Pham Van Dong, head of the MARD’s Animal Health Department, raised the alarm at a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and Control in Hanoi and January 21.
He said such new strains of avian influenza virus as H7N9, H10N8 and H6N1, which were found in poultry several years ago, have circulated in humans with fatal cases recorded in Hong Kong and Taiwan (China).
Although no positive samples of the strains have been reported so far in Vietnam, the country is still at greater risk for their outbreak through cross-border poultry smuggling.
Dong also raised the fact that H5N1 virus was found in 61 percent of 147 markets selling live poultry in 44 cities and provinces nationwide from October 2012 to September 2013.
On this occasion, the committee required its members, ministries and branches to closely work with veterinary departments and local authorities to deploy preventive measures in order to prevent these types of bird flu from spreading, especially during the Tet festival.
Earlier, Hoang Van Minh, a 52-year-old man from Binh Minh commune, southern Binh Phuoc province, died after seven days in hospital with symptoms linked to A/H5N1.
This was the first A/H5N1 case recorded in the country in nine months, according to the Health Ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department.
The patient was hospitalised on January 11 with flu-like symptoms such as fever, coughing and breathing difficulties after his family ate duck meat. All samples taken from him tested positive for A/H5N1 flu.-VNA
Pham Van Dong, head of the MARD’s Animal Health Department, raised the alarm at a meeting of the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and Control in Hanoi and January 21.
He said such new strains of avian influenza virus as H7N9, H10N8 and H6N1, which were found in poultry several years ago, have circulated in humans with fatal cases recorded in Hong Kong and Taiwan (China).
Although no positive samples of the strains have been reported so far in Vietnam, the country is still at greater risk for their outbreak through cross-border poultry smuggling.
Dong also raised the fact that H5N1 virus was found in 61 percent of 147 markets selling live poultry in 44 cities and provinces nationwide from October 2012 to September 2013.
On this occasion, the committee required its members, ministries and branches to closely work with veterinary departments and local authorities to deploy preventive measures in order to prevent these types of bird flu from spreading, especially during the Tet festival.
Earlier, Hoang Van Minh, a 52-year-old man from Binh Minh commune, southern Binh Phuoc province, died after seven days in hospital with symptoms linked to A/H5N1.
This was the first A/H5N1 case recorded in the country in nine months, according to the Health Ministry’s Preventive Medicine Department.
The patient was hospitalised on January 11 with flu-like symptoms such as fever, coughing and breathing difficulties after his family ate duck meat. All samples taken from him tested positive for A/H5N1 flu.-VNA
