December 23, 2004

Vietnam's Agriculture Sector Adopts Drastic Bird Flu Preventive Measures

The Veterinary Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Vietnam has adopted six preventive measures to control bird flu outbreaks.

These measures include boosting information dissemination to raise public awareness about the disease, strengthening the monitoring of the disease at grassroots levels to prevent sick fowls from being sold, sterilising poultry farms, especially recently-affected farms, and poultry burying grounds, as well as promoting the surveillance of cross-border and cross-country poultry transportation. In particular, workers at poultry farms must be provided with sufficient clothing and equipment to protect themselves.

According to the department, there is a possibility of bird flu recurring in the country, particularly in the southwestern provinces. In November 2004 there was an outbreak confined to the Mekong delta city of Can Tho. However, during the first 20 days of December, in addition to Can Tho, the disease affected the southern province of Binh Phuoc and the Mekong delta provinces of Bac Lieu, Long An, Tra Vinh and Hau Giang, forcing the cull of 3,700 chickens, 3,800 ducks and geese, and 3,000 quails.

The department said there is a risk of the disease spreading in the future, particularly between now and the Lunar New Year, which falls between Feb. 7-10 in 2005.