The Ministry of Health on April 3 ordered relevant municipal andprovincial departments and institutes of hygiene and epidemiology to beprepared for avian influenza H7N9 following the WHO’s report on fatalcases of the disease in China.
The World HealthOrganisation (WHO) has reported on three H7N9 infected cases in Chinaon March 29, including two fatalities. All of them suffered fromrespiratory inflammation which led to pneumonia and respiratory failure.
The Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed that they were positive to the H7N9 virus.
The ministry asked relevant agencies to work with veterinary units andlocal authorities to enhance supervision, and promptly detect and dealwith any possible outbreaks of avian influenza.
Italso asked for tightening trans-border medical quarantine procedures andpromptly offering medical treatment to those who are suspected ofcontracting the disease.
On top of this, theagencies and local authorities must pay special attention to visitorscoming from the areas hit by the disease, and promptly take preventivemeasures whenever the outbreak occurs.
The sameday, the ministry also suggested the Ministry of Industry and Trade andthe Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development closely monitortrans-border imports of poultry and its products.-VNA