Prime Minister directs active prevention of A/H7N9 flu

The dispatch said that there is a high risk of the penetration of the A/H7N9 flu virus and other viruses into Vietnam from foreign countries through transport, trade and consumption of unclear origin poultry and poultry products, especially for northern border localities and other provinces and cities that consume poultry and poultry products of unclear origin.

To prevent the avian flu viruses from penetrating Vietnam, minimize potential human infections, and mitigate the economic loss to the breeding industry, the PM asked Ministries, provincial and city People’s Committees to strictly prohibit the illegal transport, trade, slaughter and consumption of poultry and poultry products, including the offering of poultry activities by organizations and individuals in border areas.

He also requested localities to carry out strict supervision at border gates, trails and border pathways towards those coming from A/H7N9 flu infected regions, and develop plans to deal with discovered A/H7N9 flu patients in Vietnam.

Localities will be responsible for taking poultry and environment samples for testing to detect A/H7N9 flu virus and other avian flu viruses in the country.

They will have to strictly inspect poultry slaughtering areas at markets, carry out hygienic and decontamination activities at markets, develop plans for closing poultry markets if the A/H7N9 flu virus is detected, hold simulation on coping with A/H7N9 flu outbreaks as planned by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health in order to effectively carry out preventive measures if the virus is discovered to penetrate into Vietnam.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), from late March 2013 to March 20^th this year, 1,342 Chinese were infected with A/H7N9 flu, with a loss of 494 lives. Since the beginning of this year, China has discovered over 2,000 samples positive for A/H7N9 flu virus in poultry at markets and some farms./.