December 26, 2006

Vietnam PM orders local response to bird flu outbreak

Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung ordered all local governments to make measures to prevent further bird flu transmission in poultry and humans.

Dung has asked for further surveillance of poultry farms in order to ensure early detection of new outbreaks, culling of all affected poultry, and intensifying disinfections and detoxification of farms in line with veterinary agencies' guidance.

Some of the measures include vaccinating all poultry in high-risk areas and tightening control of transportation, sale and slaughter of poultry and related products. Cases of illegal importation of poultry and related products must be punished, a dispatch from the PM's office said.

The country's deputy prime minister Nguyen Sinh HuHung criticised the leaders of the southern provinces of Ca Mau and Bac Lieu for their delay in detecting new bird flu outbreaks. Their vaccinations for poultry had not met requirements and were slow in culling dead poultry, he added.

The country has roped in some of their celebrities, including Miss Vietnam to raise awareness about avian flu in the lead-up to Tet (Vietnam's New Year).

Meanwhile, WHO medical epidemiologist Dr Rick Brown applauded the government's efforts in containing the latest flare-ups of avian flu.

Localities have banned the export of poultry and cleaned up areas surrounding the outbreaks. Quarantine checkpoints have been ordered to work round the clock to tighten the examination of poultry transported to the city, particularly those from the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta.