January 11, 2007

Vietnam's central region faces high risk of bird flu

Vietnam Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong warned on Monday that lack of knowledge on bird flu can cause an epidemic in central Vietnam.

Speaking at a Da Nang conference on fighting avian influenza in the central provinces on Monday, Bong called on provincial authorities to implement drastic measures to curb the outbreak of bird flu, although no outbreak has yet been recorded in these areas.

The head of the Animal Health Department, Bui Quang Anh, said the risk of bird flu in the central provinces was high due to a lack of public awareness of prevention efforts. Local poultry farmers have continued hatching eggs illegally and transporting unquarantined poultry and poultry products to other areas.

Anh said his department was reserving seven million doses of bird flu vaccine in case of an outbreak. He ordered strict breeding, slaughtering and transportation inspections to provide safe and hygienic food products to consumers.

According to Minister Bong, the Veterinary Department has distributed more than four million doses of vaccine to all cities and provinces and an additional 250 million does of poultry vaccine would be distributed this month.

Hoang Van Min, deputy director of Quang Binh Province's Agriculture and Rural Development Department, said officials needed to quickly provide funding for the inoculation and disinfecting of poultry farms in remote rural areas.

According to Da Nang People's Committee vice chairman Tran Phuoc Chinh, the city has prohibited the import of poultry into the city. The Veterinary Department has been continuously conducting vaccinations this month, with 130,000 vaccinations to be completed by late March, Chinh said.

The chairmen of People's Committees at the city's district levels are tasked to cull sick flocks with below 100 birds, he added.