3 districts have livestock affected by foot and mouth disease, Nghe An issues urgent telegram

51 sick buffaloes and cows

The dispatch said that recently, foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) has been occurring in many provinces across the country (Bac Kan, Ha Giang, Lang Son, Ha Tinh, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Tra Vinh, Vinh Long,...).

In Nghe An province, since November 11, 2019, FMD has occurred in 20 households, 8 hamlets of 4 communes in 3 districts of Nghi Loc, Dien Chau and Tuong Duong, causing 51 buffaloes and cows to become sick.

Farmers in Hung Hoa commune (Vinh city) take care of buffaloes with foot and mouth disease. Photo courtesy of Quang An

The causes of the epidemic are: (1) The livestock have not been vaccinated against FMD; (2) The pathogen remains in the livestock that has recovered from clinical disease at a high rate and is often released into the environment; (3) In most mountainous districts, buffaloes and cows are mainly grazed in the forest, not well cared for and raised, combined with the changing weather and seasons, reducing the resistance of livestock, creating conditions for pathogens to develop and cause disease; (4) The purchase and transportation from one locality to another have not been strictly inspected and controlled; (5) Programs and projects to support livestock breeds for poor households have not fully implemented disease prevention and control procedures and have transported and supplied them to households; (6) In the past, localities have been focusing resources on preventing and controlling African swine fever, so there has been a state of subjectivity and negligence in the prevention and control of other diseases, including FMD...

In the last months of 2019 and early 2020, the weather changed unfavorably, many rains caused high humidity, which was a favorable condition for pathogens to develop, the demand for transporting livestock and livestock products at the end of the year increased, causing pathogens to spread and infect; therefore, the risk of FMD outbreaks in the coming time is very high.

Resolutely implement solutions to prevent and control epidemics

Implementing the urgent dispatch No. 8799/CD-BNN-TY dated November 23, 2013 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development on focusing on drastic implementation of measures to prevent and control foot-and-mouth disease in livestock; to promptly control outbreaks, prevent the disease from spreading widely, and minimize damage to livestock farmers, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee requests the Chairmen of the People's Committees of districts, cities, and towns; Directors of departments, heads of relevant provincial-level sectors to focus on, drastically and synchronously deploy solutions to prevent and control foot-and-mouth disease according to the provisions of the Law on Veterinary Medicine, Circular No. 07/2016/TT-BNNPTNT dated May 31, 2016 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development regulating the prevention and control of terrestrial animal diseases; Directive No. 19/CT-UBND dated November 14, 2014 of Nghe An Provincial People's Committee on focusing on drastic and synchronous implementation of solutions to prevent and control livestock and poultry diseases in the winter-spring crop.

Official dispatch of the Provincial People's Committee. Photo: Viet Phuong

For districts with FMD outbreaks and high-risk areas: Concentrate all resources and direct to thoroughly handle outbreaks, prevent new outbreaks from occurring, and prevent the spread of the disease to other localities. Daily, fully and promptly report on the epidemic situation and prevention and control work to the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (through the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine of Nghe An province) in accordance with regulations. Urgently organize and direct vaccination to surround outbreaks and high-risk areas; ensure 100% of livestock to be vaccinated in epidemic areas and at least 80% of livestock to be vaccinated in high-risk areas. Organize sanitation and disinfection with chemicals and lime powder at outbreaks, routes and vehicles entering and leaving outbreaks, and high-risk locations to destroy pathogens.

Direct the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Economy, the District Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Station, and the Commune People's Committees to rectify the work of disease prevention, control and reporting, ensure timely and complete implementation of disease prevention and control measures according to the provisions of the Law on Veterinary Medicine, documents guiding the implementation of the law, and directive documents of the Central and the province; strengthen monitoring and sampling to promptly detect and thoroughly handle outbreaks as soon as they occur, preventing them from spreading widely.

For programs and projects providing breeding animals and supporting poverty reduction in the area: It is necessary to strictly implement disease prevention and control, control the transportation of breeding animals in accordance with current regulations; absolutely do not allow the provision of breeding animals that do not ensure quality or breeding animals infected with diseases that cause disease outbreaks and spread; strictly handle violations.

Establish working groups led by leaders of the People's Committees at district and commune levels to directly inspect FMD outbreaks and high-risk areas to direct, urge and guide FMD prevention and control at the grassroots level.

Organizations and individuals who do not comply with vaccination to prevent diseases required by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development when an epidemic occurs and are forced to destroy their animals will not be eligible for State support policies. Photo: Quang An

Directing district-level media agencies and commune loudspeaker systems to: Increase information and propaganda about the dangerous nature of FMD; instructing livestock farmers to regularly clean, disinfect, and sterilize livestock facilities and the surrounding environment; implementing disease prevention and control measures according to regulations and instructions of specialized agencies; absolutely do not hide the epidemic, sell sick livestock, do not let livestock roam freely in areas where the epidemic is occurring, and do not throw dead livestock into the environment.

Direct the People's Committees at the commune level to review and count the total livestock herd, farms, and livestock farms in the area; request organizations and individuals raising livestock (buffalo, cow, pig, goat) to proactively purchase FMD vaccine and other vaccines to vaccinate their livestock according to regulations.

Direct relevant forces (veterinary, market management, police, etc.) to regularly inspect and control the transportation, slaughtering, and trading of animals and animal products in the area; strengthen management and prevent the transportation of livestock and livestock products from epidemic areas, of unknown origin, and not yet quarantined into the district. Promptly detect and strictly handle violations according to the provisions of law.

The Department of Agriculture and Rural Development shall take the lead in coordinating with the People's Committees at the district level and relevant departments and branches to strengthen the direction and implementation of FMD prevention and control in the province; establish inspection teams, urge and guide FMD prevention and control work, and promptly remove obstacles at the grassroots level.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also requested the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to direct the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine to coordinate with the People's Committees at the district level to strengthen inspection of disease prevention, control and surveillance at facilities, epidemic areas, high-risk areas...; prepare vaccines, chemicals, and materials to proactively prevent and control epidemics; strengthen the work of taking samples and sending them for testing to determine the virus strain causing the disease, as a basis for selecting and using vaccines that are not defective and contain the epidemic with the highest efficiency; carry out well the work of quarantine of animals, animal products, quarantine of imported and exported animals in accordance with regulations.

Relevant departments, branches and sectors: Based on their functions and tasks, coordinate with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the District People's Committee to direct the implementation of effective epidemic prevention and control measures.

Organizations and individuals involved in livestock farming, slaughtering, trading and transporting livestock and livestock products must strictly comply with the provisions of law on livestock farming, slaughtering, trading and transporting livestock and livestock products; comply with periodic and unscheduled inspections or sample testing of livestock and livestock products; and periodically vaccinate against foot-and-mouth disease and other vaccines as prescribed...

Organizations and individuals who do not comply with vaccination to prevent compulsory diseases as prescribed in Circular No. 07/2016/TT-BNNPTNT of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development when an epidemic occurs and are forced to destroy their animals will not be entitled to support policies from the State; at the same time, they will be subject to administrative sanctions in the veterinary field according to Decree No. 90/2017/ND-CP dated January 9, 2007 of the Government on sanctions for administrative violations in the veterinary field.