Accordingly, the Ministry of Transport was urged to guide units withtransport means entering Vietnam from plague-hit countries topromptly inform competent agencies about the hygienic conditions and theappearance of rats and fleas on their vehicles for timely responsemeasures.
The units must actively examine, detect anddestroy rats and fleas on their transport means, especially water,railway and road vehicles, to minimise the risks of disease transmissionfrom animals to humans.
The Health Ministry also requested thehealth departments of provinces and cities to instruct quarantineagencies increase the examination and supervision of goods on vehiclesreturning from epidemic-stricken areas.
Media agencies shouldstrengthen the dissemination of anti-plague measures among people,especially those living in high-risk areas, and encourage them to killrats under the guidance of the agricultural sector.
The bubonicplague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis which is transmitted tohuman via flea bites. It kills about one in ten infected patients.Patients first develop high fever, headache and painful swelling inlymph glands. In extreme cases, their skin turns dark purple. Oncediagnosed, patients can be treated with antibiotics. If they arediagnosed early on, they have better chances to recover.
Vietnam has recorded no bubonic plague cases in the past 12 years.-VNA
