Vietnam Strengthens Detoxification of Poultry
Vietnam has launched a mass nationwide disinfection of fowl farms in provinces and cities amidst fears of possible bird flu outbreaks in the approaching winter.
Poultry quarantine checkpoints would be established in heavy traffic areas in order to inspect the flux of poultry transport among provinces, said the veterinary department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD).
Localities nationwide are also facilitating the vaccination of poultry against bird flu viruses, including the deadly strain H5N1. Vietnam will import an addition of 260 million doses of vaccines from China this month.
To date, 28 cities and provinces nationwide have vaccinated 27.6 million fowl, including 16.9 million chickens.
On Monday, the Hanoi-based Institute for Tropical Disease said bird flu viruses may resist Tamiflu, but noted if this occurred, larger doses would be administered to patients over a longer period of time.
To detect infections among humans earlier, the Vietnamese Health Ministry is proposing the World Health Organization assist the country in establishing surveillance systems at 800 hospitals nationwide.
The ministry also confirmed that a total of 64 local people from 25 cities and provinces had been infected with bird flu since early this year, of whom 21 died.
Danish aid
The Danish government granted Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development a quantity of anti-bird flu materials and chemicals worth US$307,000 Monday.
The aid, designed to support the fight against bird flu in 49 provinces and cities across the country, was the second aid package from Denmark in support of Vietnam's anti-bird flu program.
The move brought the amount of Danish assistance to Vietnam in fighting bird flu to $800,000 in the past two years.
(Source: VNA)
Story from Thanh Nien News
Published: 04 October, 2005, 21:50:05 (GMT+7)
Copyright Thanh Nien News
