Prime Minister's telegram: Focus on preventing avian influenza from spreading to humans

Today (February 14), the Prime Minister issued an official dispatch requesting ministries, branches and localities to focus on preventing avian influenza and avian influenza virus strains from spreading to humans.

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The full text of the telegram is as follows:

According to the announcement of the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2013, in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, there were 147 people infected with A/H7N9 influenza, including 47 deaths. Since the beginning of 2014, China has recorded 190 new cases, including 19 deaths. In Guangxi province, China, bordering Vietnam, there have been 02 people infected with A/H7N9 influenza virus. China has detected A/H7N9 influenza virus circulating in some live poultry markets. Particularly dangerous is that A/H7N9 influenza virus does not cause clinical disease in poultry and there is currently no vaccine to prevent the disease, so detecting, monitoring and responding to this virus strain is very difficult. The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has just warned that in Hebei Province (China) and Taiwan, the highly pathogenic H5N2 influenza virus has appeared, causing clinical outbreaks and the death of many poultry. In Vietnam, A/H5N1 influenza in poultry flocks has also appeared sporadically in some localities, with 02 deaths due to A/H5N1 influenza in January 2014 in Binh Phuoc and Dong Thap.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) warns that the risk of the A/H7N9 influenza virus entering Vietnam from the northern border provinces and provinces related to the trade and consumption of smuggled poultry and poultry products of unknown origin is very high.

To proactively prevent the A/H7N9 influenza virus and other strains of avian influenza virus, minimize the spread and death of influenza virus to humans, affect public health, and minimize damage to the livestock industry, the Prime Minister requests ministries, branches, and People's Committees of provinces and centrally run cities to strengthen the implementation of avian influenza prevention and control work according to the Prime Minister's direction in Official Dispatch No. 133/CD-TTg dated January 23, 2014 and focus on directing the following specific measures:

1. The Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Head of the National Steering Committee for Avian Influenza Prevention and Control, shall issue and guide localities in organizing and implementing the "Action Plan for Emergency Response to Dangerous Avian Influenza Virus Strains Potentially Transmissible to Humans"; immediately establish inspection teams and urge localities, especially high-risk areas in the Northern region.

2. The Ministry of Health shall resolutely deploy and closely monitor the implementation of the "Action Plan for A/H7N9 Influenza Prevention and Control in Vietnam" and measures to prevent other strains of influenza virus.

3. The ministries and branches that are members of the National Steering Committee for Avian Influenza Prevention and Control, according to their assigned functions and tasks, shall direct the functional agencies under the ministries and branches to closely coordinate with relevant agencies to focus on implementing measures to prevent the infiltration and spread of A/H7N9 virus and other strains of avian influenza virus into Vietnam.

4. People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities direct People's Committees at all levels and relevant departments and branches to:

a) Urgently develop an "Emergency Response Action Plan for dangerous avian influenza strains that can spread to humans" in the area according to the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to serve as a basis for synchronously implementing effective epidemic prevention and control measures.

b) Assign specific responsibilities to each member of the Steering Committee for epidemic prevention at all levels; immediately establish working groups to inspect and urge the implementation of Project 2088 and the Prime Minister's direction on preventing avian influenza from spreading across borders; be prepared to respond to A/H7N9 influenza and other influenza virus strains.

c) Direct, urge and propagate poultry farmers and traders to carry out good hygiene, disinfection and sterilization work, and encourage the application of disease-safe livestock farming models to minimize the risk of infection and virus spread.

d) Increase sampling and monitoring of poultry and the environment to detect influenza A/H7N9 virus and other virus strains in smuggled poultry and at live poultry markets for early detection and timely handling.

d) Strictly implement quarantine at the source; strictly control the transportation and trade of poultry and poultry products in the area. Propagate so that people do not participate in illegal trading and transport of poultry across the border; strictly handle violations; strictly prohibit the trading and transport of poultry and poultry products that have not been heat-treated from China to Vietnam.

e) When detecting the A/H7N9 influenza virus in poultry or in the environment, it is necessary to immediately report to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Health, and at the same time organize the implementation of thorough and timely handling measures according to the instructions of veterinary agencies, to prevent the virus from spreading widely.

5. The media needs to promptly and accurately inform the people about the developments of the avian influenza epidemic and measures to prevent the epidemic.

Requesting ministries, branches, People's Committees of provinces and centrally-run cities to strictly direct the implementation of this Official Dispatch./.

According to Government Electronic Newspaper