Strengthen measures to prevent avian influenza

(Baonghean) -Avian influenza is becoming increasingly complicated in many localities. Therefore, the local veterinary sector is strengthening anti-epidemic measures and promoting proactiveness in disease prevention.

Cleaning poultry farms in Hung Dao - Hung Nguyen. Photo: Phu Huong

After the outbreak of an epidemic in the duck flock of Ms. Nguyen Thi Quynh's family in Hamlet 15, Nghi Van Commune, the People's Committee of Nghi Loc District synchronously deployed epidemic prevention measures to control and prevent the epidemic from spreading widely. When we were present at Ms. Quynh's family, through discussion, we learned that her family has built a duck farm for many years now, her farm has an average of over 1,000 ducks, each year her family earns more than 100 million VND from duck farming. However, on February 16, her family's duck flock suddenly showed symptoms of tilted heads, cramped legs, unable to move and died sporadically. After discovering the disease, the District Veterinary Station isolated the area for treatment and took samples to send to the Regional Veterinary Center 3 for testing. The results showed that Ms. Quynh's duck flock was positive for H5N1. She shared: Our family has been raising ducks since 2005, and we have followed all disease prevention procedures. We do not understand why the ducks are infected. We hope that the relevant departments will create favorable conditions to help our family, because this is an asset that the whole family has built up over many years.

Faced with that situation, the district veterinary station coordinated with local authorities to destroy all infected poultry and poultry in contact with infected poultry; At the same time, disinfecting, encircling, suppressing the epidemic, vaccinating and disinfecting wherever necessary. Currently, the Provincial Veterinary Department has allocated 10,000 doses of vaccine and 200 liters of Bencoxit chemicals to Nghi Loc for localities in Nghi Loc to proactively prevent the epidemic. Accordingly, members of the Steering Committee for Avian Influenza Prevention and Control proactively monitor the area to inspect, supervise, urge and guide the facilities to effectively implement epidemic prevention and control work. Mr. Tran Quoc Cuong, Head of Nghi Loc District Veterinary Station, said: To control the encirclement to avoid the spread, immediately after the conclusion of the Regional Veterinary Center 3, the Station immediately destroyed all sick poultry and poultry that had come into contact with sick poultry, and at the same time assigned staff to closely follow the area to direct local veterinarians to only disinfect and vaccinate the entire herd.

According to the report of the District Veterinary Station, Nghi Loc now has more than 600 thousand poultry. Due to the extremely complicated weather, prolonged cold weather, the risk of an outbreak is very high. Therefore, the synchronous implementation of epidemic prevention measures has been proactively implemented by the Party Committees and authorities at all levels in Nghi Loc. In particular, focusing on widely disseminating to the people about the risks and harms of avian influenza virus and the possibility of spreading to humans to raise awareness in the community; Launching a mass movement to clean up, disinfect and sterilize. Advise people not to use poultry meat of unknown origin. Private traders absolutely do not consume, slaughter and trade sick poultry, do not litter poultry carcasses. Especially in high-risk communes, it is necessary to set up temporary quarantine checkpoints to prevent the transportation of poultry and poultry products in and out of the area. At quarantine checkpoints, there must be means and disinfectants to disinfect people and vehicles passing through.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Hai - Vice Chairman of Nghi Loc District People's Committee added: To control, contain and prevent the epidemic from spreading widely, Nghi Loc is currently implementing synchronous anti-epidemic measures. As for Nghi Van, up to this point, the locality has completed vaccination and disinfection spraying. At the same time, quarantine checkpoints are set up to prevent the transportation of poultry in and out of the area. In particular, localities that have not had an epidemic have mobilized the entire population to clean up the environment, disinfect livestock areas and at markets and slaughterhouses; Organize the signing of commitments with each livestock household and trader not to consume sick poultry; Strengthen propaganda for people to raise awareness of disease prevention, contributing to the effective implementation of avian influenza prevention with the locality.

Not only in Nghi Loc, bird flu has also appeared in Quynh Lam (Quynh Luu). Quynh Luu is a locality with a relatively large number of livestock and poultry, annually providing a fairly abundant source of food for the market inside and outside the district, so the district is currently promoting disinfection measures to protect poultry.

We went to Mr. Truong Phi Hung's house in Hamlet 5, Quynh Dien Commune, Quynh Luu District and saw that he had sold all his livestock and poultry. Currently, his family is urgently cleaning and sanitizing the feeders and waterers, repairing the barns, and spraying disinfectant around the livestock area, sprinkling lime powder into the manure pit to destroy potential diseases. Mr. Truong Phi Hung said: "At this point, the family is also preparing food sources and capital to continue developing livestock farming in terms of commercial cattle and also developing chicken and duck farming to serve the family's economic development."

Quynh Luu District People's Committee has directed relevant departments, branches and veterinary stations to organize and deploy disinfection spraying and environmental detoxification campaigns in livestock areas; dredge sewers; renovate livestock barns according to technical procedures. Along with that, build and strengthen the grassroots veterinary network to ensure quantity and quality to meet the requirements of livestock farmers. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Dinh - Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Quynh Luu District added: "Currently, we are focusing on doing a good job of environmental sanitation, detoxification and disinfection after Tet. At the same time, deploy plans for vaccination as well as prevention of avian influenza."

Along with closely monitoring poultry flocks in households, the functional sector in Thai Hoa town also directed quarantine work at markets and live poultry trading locations, strictly handling cases of poultry trading without papers or quarantine. All with the goal of proactively grasping the situation on poultry and being ready to respond to the worst possible cases. Ms. Nguyen Thi Ngoc, veterinary officer of Hoa Hieu ward, Thai Hoa town said, "The trading of live poultry at Hieu market and some small markets in the area is quite active. Therefore, this activity is also closely monitored by us, especially at this time. We check by looking at papers, origin... If not guaranteed, they will be confiscated, destroyed and fined."

Avian influenza is becoming increasingly complicated in many localities. Therefore, the veterinary sector in localities is strengthening anti-epidemic measures and promoting proactive disease prevention. Leaders of the Department of Agriculture have inspected the outbreaks in Nghi Loc and Quynh Luu to promptly take preventive measures.

Reporter Group