Poultry quarantine at markets: Not thorough!

(Baonghean) - In the current situation where there is still no centralized poultry slaughterhouse in the province, quarantine plays a particularly important role in controlling the spread of disease. However, due to many reasons, this necessary work has not been thoroughly implemented.

Sitting selling chickens in front of the Kenh Bac bridge market, Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga (Hamlet 6, Nghi Truong Commune - Nghi Loc) said that in her garden, there are usually a few dozen chickens. When she needs money, she brings them to Vinh to sell because they get a better price, usually 120,000 VND/kg, while if she sells them near her house, they only get 100,000 VND/kg. Once, the market management board reminded her to sell them in the market, but she still tried to sell them here because there were many passersby and they were easier to sell. "Customers still like country chickens, no one comes to check if the chickens are healthy or not, there are only a few chickens, why do we need to check them?" - Ms. Nga said.

Poultry slaughtering at Kenh Bac bridge market (Vinh city).

Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga is just one of many households selling poultry in markets where consumers cannot know where the poultry comes from, whether there is an epidemic, or whether there is a risk of spreading the epidemic. This is also the common situation in most markets today, not only in Vinh City where there are a large number of markets and poultry. Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc (Head of Vinh Veterinary Station) said: "There are 12 markets in the city, not to mention many retail points for poultry and poultry products located on many roads and small alleys, while all of them are small-scale slaughterhouses and there is no centralized poultry slaughterhouse. Therefore, we have determined that quarantine and clinical inspection of poultry at markets are important and very necessary measures. This is a regular activity throughout the year, but during peak epidemic periods like this, it will be promoted more". At markets such as Quang Trung market, Kenh Bac bridge market, Quan Lau market, etc.,

Poultry traders all said that this is done regularly. "Every day, a trader pays 10,000 VND for veterinary staff to come and check and spray disinfectant. Normally, chickens are clinically checked and sprayed once a day, but this time the chickens are checked twice a day - morning and afternoon" - said Mr. Thai Duy Lich, a chicken trader at Kenh Bac market. However, Mr. Duc also admitted that it is very difficult to completely control this issue, especially when local authorities have not really taken action.

According to Mr. Dang Duy Huong (Chairman of Kenh Bac Cooperative), the market has 4 households specializing in chicken trading, in addition, people bring chickens to sell scattered on the streets and at the market gate. However, up to now, he has not received any opinions or directives or coordination documents from the local government or the Veterinary Department on the issue of checking and controlling the source of poultry brought into the market for sale. Even the issue of disinfection by veterinary staff after each market session, Mr. Huong also admitted that he did not know or witness, except for signing confirmation for veterinary staff that it had been sprayed. "I admit that we are also irresponsible, but the Veterinary Department has no coordination. Even with this epidemic, we only know through the media."

According to the provisions of the Veterinary Ordinance, in addition to the responsibility of veterinary staff to propose measures to prevent and control epidemics, organize vaccinations, manage the total herd..., Point 5, Section 10 clearly stipulates the responsibility of declaring, monitoring... epidemics of local authorities. However, according to Mr. Nguyen Tien Duc, although the Vinh City People's Committee has issued full documents, instructions, and assigned tasks to communes and wards in preventing and controlling avian influenza, in reality, the coordination and participation of localities is not high. With 13 quarantine officers, it is very difficult to control all poultry sources at 12 markets in the whole city. Therefore, the City Veterinary Station has only clinically examined poultry flocks of professional chicken and duck traders, but small traders have not been able to do so.

In Vinh City, there are two sources of poultry and poultry products. The amount of frozen poultry products entering markets, restaurants, and supermarkets is about 1,500 kg/day, this source of goods is mainly imported, with import permission confirmation from the Department of Animal Health, the province from which the export is made will issue a quarantine certificate. The most difficult and painful problem at present is the source of live poultry and small-scale slaughtered poultry from districts in the province and some other provinces such as Ha Tinh brought in with an amount of about 600-700 kg/day, the slaughtering does not follow any process. Observing at the markets, most of the slaughtering and trading areas for live poultry are located inside the market, very unsanitary, buyers still have the habit of choosing chickens right in the cage and slaughtering them there. It is very difficult to control the source of disease here.

Currently, the Veterinary Department and the Veterinary Stations of districts and cities have established teams to strengthen inspection and control work in localities in general and in markets in particular. With the current conditions of small-scale farming and trading, there are still many poultry and poultry product supply chains in the market, in which people either raise and sell themselves, or collect them for sale. Small-scale farming means small-scale slaughtering, with only 31 slaughterhouses in the whole province. Recently, the Vinh City People's Committee decided to allow a slaughterhouse in Coi Market (Hung Loc) to switch to poultry slaughtering, but it has not been implemented yet because it has not been handed over.

In such conditions, with a small veterinary force, if there is no coordination and real involvement of local authorities, the situation of poultry being bought, sold, and slaughtered illegally, with the potential risk of disease outbreak and spread is inevitable. Mr. Ngo Duc Quynh, Deputy Head of the Provincial Veterinary Department, said: In the whole province, there are about 2,500 households engaged in the slaughter and trading of livestock and poultry on a small scale. While the issue of thorough inspection is still limited, it can only be carried out for the number of livestock brought to the centralized slaughterhouse and quarantine on the routes for the amount of poultry transported from 1,500 or more, the inspection of poultry and poultry products at the market is a very important measure.

Currently, the A/H7N9 influenza virus has appeared in Guangxi province (China) bordering 4 northern border provinces of Vietnam. It is a virus that is transmitted from poultry to humans, causing illness in humans and a very high mortality rate; it is often detected in places where poultry is concentrated, including live poultry markets with poor management methods (uncontrolled poultry origin, poor hygiene, continuous poultry storage, no or few market closure days for cleaning and disinfection).

Meanwhile, illegal trading and transportation of poultry and poultry products across the border into the country has not yet completely stopped. Therefore, the risk of A/H7N9 influenza virus entering Vietnam and Nghe An province in the coming time is very high. Therefore, controlling the trading and transportation of poultry and poultry products of unknown origin at poultry markets in the whole province is very important, requiring coordination and synchronous participation of relevant localities, departments and branches.

Article and photos:Phu Huong