December 8, 2004

Vietnam to Strengthen Bird Flu Prevention and Control in Southern Region

A conference on improving the prevention and fight against bird flu in Vietnam's southern provinces was held in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang recently.

During the conference, major measures were devised to continue increasing public awareness about the danger of the disease, helping animal breeders apply hygienic measures, monitoring transportation and the import of poultry, zoning off and building slaughter-houses under the supervision of veterinary agencies, as well as maintaining activities of steering boards for bird flu prevention and control from grassroots to central levels.

The conference was jointly organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) and Tien Giang province.

According to the MARD, southern provinces have over the past month distributed 550,000 leaflets and 1,500 handbooks on the bird flu. Nearly 57,000 animal breeders have attended training courses on the disease.

The Veterinary Department has distributed 10,000 dressing gowns, 25,000 waste bags and 92 verminfuge sprayers to localities.

Almost 434,000 chickens, 826,400 ducks and 23,630 eggs have been put into quarantine while waiting transport to the market.