Friday, August 10, 2012

Vietnam: Health departments to ascertain, curb possible spread of H5N1 virus

hat-tip: http://crofsblogs.typepad.com

Aug 10, 2012

Nguyen Van Binh, head of Department of Preventive Health, said that municipal and provincial departments of health across the country have been ordered to do a thorough study of old cases of outbreaks of diseases, so as to ascertain and curb the possible spread of H5N1 virus.

A health worker is sanitizing the environment in a farming households

Medical workers, especially those at border gates, have been advised to keep a close watch on patients suspected of having contracted the H5N1 strain, by placing them in quarantine and isolation wards in hospitals.

Binh asked people to inform the local governments about diseased and dead poultry in their district, and avoid eating sick foul or transport and sell poultry without clear indications of origin.

The quick spread of the bird flu virus has worried local authorities and caused concern among poultry breeders.

The Steering Board of Avian Flu Prevention announced that the northern provinces of Hai Phong and Hai Duong; the central provinces of Quang Binh and Ha Tinh are being plagued by bird flu.

More worrisome is the risk of the disease spreading because of current weather conditions which are favorable for spread of the virus and lax management of poultry trade and sale in the bordering districts with China where tons of sick chickens are illegally brought into the country.

Bird flu has spread to a duck farm in the central province of Quang Tri, affecting 4,890 poultry, bringing the total of H5N1 infected areas to six communes in Vinh Linh, Trieu Phong Districts and Quang Tri Town.

The Department of Animal Health in Quang Tri Province has provided more than 300,000 vaccine dozes and 5,000 kilograms of disinfectants to localities, to sanitize the environment.

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