Post and Health services join in battle against anthrax
Ha Noi, Oct. 22 (VNA) -- Both post and health officials have announced strong measures against any possible transmission of anthrax bacteria through the mails and strict quarantine measures at border gates.
As a result, no exposure case has been reported so far and the danger of the disease contamination is extremely small, the officials said in an interview with Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper on the Oct. 22 issue.
Deputy Director of the Viet Nam Post Department Tran Duc Lai said his personnel have been ordered to take special care of any suspicious mail. They have been told to report to higher-level authority for the examination of any case of suspected terror activities to ensure prevention of anthrax terrorism.
Current rules state that mails to domestic corps, international organisations and leaders are now under strict supervision.
In regard to preventive measures against contamination of the disease to the postal personnel, Lai said the staff will be provided with rubber gloves soon. However, he said, the postal service in Viet Nam has proved to be highly secure.
Also in the interview, Pham Ngoc Tong, Deputy Director of the Ha Noi Preventive Medicine Centre in charge of health quarantine at bordergates, confirmed of no report on transmission of anthrax into the country across the border through the imported animal products such as hide and meat.
He said quarantine is always very strict at the bordergates to ensure protection against contagious diseases such as bubonic plague, cholera, and yellow fever under the World Health Organisation's rules. And so far since Nov.1, 1998 no case of these contagious diseases have been found at the Noi Bai international airport, said Tong.
Officials from the Prophylactic Hygiene Institute and the Preventive Medicine Department under the Ministry of Public Health and the Animal Quarantine Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, all have said the anthrax preventive measures among animals and human beings have been put into regular campaigns and have proved to be effective so far. As a result, the morbidity rate of anthrax in Viet Nam is very small at just 10 cases reported as positive every year. Experts assured that anthrax has posed almost no danger at this point in Viet Nam.--VNA
