Nghe An recommends livestock farmers to prevent H5N1 avian influenza

Consecutive outbreaks

Just over the past month, the province has recorded the appearance of outbreaks.H5N1 avian influenzaThese outbreaks occurred since Nghe An had just suffered a severe natural disaster following storm No. 4.

Specifically, the first outbreak appeared on October 6, 2022, at the family of Mr. Phan Trong Minh, Hoa Thanh commune, Yen Thanh district. After the test sample showed positive results for H5N1 avian influenza, the authorities proceeded to destroy 2,500 ducks of the family. It is known that the owner bought this flock of ducks in Dien Hong commune, Dien Chau district, and after only a few days, they had convulsions and died en masse.

Poultry infected with H5N1 had to be destroyed. Photo: QA

By mid-November 2022, the chicken flock of Mrs. Pham Thi Sen's family in Xuan Trung hamlet, Nghi Duc commune (Vinh city) was also in a similar situation. However, instead of reporting to the local authorities, Mrs. Sen buried the chickens scattered in many areas. When the number of dead chickens was too large, she reported to the veterinary agency to take samples for testing on November 18, with results positive for H5N1. Nghi Duc commune authorities were forced to destroy the entire flock of chickens, and at the same time, cordoned off the dangerous area, strictly prohibiting the buying and selling of poultry in the newly infected area.

Most recently, the flock of ducks of Mr. Tran Van Duong's family, block 2, Hung Nguyen town, Hung Nguyen district with a total of 2,000 also tested positive for H5N1 on November 22. The locality has destroyed all the family's poultry. It is worth mentioning that Mr. Duong's flock of ducks is not raised in a closed farm but is often left to roam the fields, posing a high risk of spreading the disease.

Hung Nguyen district authorities destroyed a flock of infected ducks. Photo: Thanh Tam

Thus, within just over a month, there have been 3 outbreaks of H5N1 avian influenza in 3 different localities in the province, including Yen Thanh, Vinh City and Hung Nguyen. The total number of poultry that had to be destroyed was over 5,000. It is worth mentioning that the risk of spreading the disease still exists due to the farming habits as well as the improper handling of infected poultry.

The representative of the Provincial Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine said that there were many reasons for the recent outbreaks of H5N1, including erratic weather, especially after floods, which created favorable conditions for pathogens to grow and develop. Meanwhile, the vaccination rate of livestock households was still low, which led to the rapid spread of the disease, making it difficult to control. Notably, when the disease was detected, people did not report it to the authorities but handled it themselves without ensuring safety, leading to the risk of widespread outbreaks.

Disinfecting and cleaning barns must be done regularly during peak epidemic periods. Photo: QA

Not only causing property damage to people, more dangerously, H5N1 flu can be transmitted to humans with dangerous symptoms and an alarming mortality rate. The most recent case of H5N1 infection is a 5-year-old girl in Phu Tho province. On the afternoon of October 8, 2022, the patient was transferred to the hospital in a state of multiple organ failure, severe multiple organ failure, and septic shock. On October 10, the child was tested by the National Children's Hospital to determine the type of influenza A/H5N1. On October 17, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology confirmed that the child was positive for influenza A/H5N1 virus. This is the latest case of influenza A/H5N1 in humans in Vietnam since February 2014. Accumulated from 2003 to present, the whole country has recorded 128 cases of influenza A/H5N1, of which 64 people died (accounting for nearly 50%).

Low vaccination rates

After the poultry flocks tested positive for H5N1 flu, local authorities urgently implemented measures to contain the epidemic as well as isolate and prevent the disease from spreading widely. The authorities destroyed all infected poultry flocks by burying, spraying disinfectants, and spreading lime powder according to the correct procedures to ensure the pathogen was completely destroyed.

At the same time, localities have also set up checkpoints and cordoned off dangerous areas. At the same time, they have assigned forces to be on duty to prevent poultry from being sold off, increasing the risk of disease spreading.

The poultry vaccination rate in the province is currently very low. Photo: QA

One of the most effective measures to limit the spread of the disease is to focus on vaccinating poultry. However, in reality, the vaccination rate in the province is still low. According to the report of the Provincial Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, the whole province has about 20 million poultry that must be vaccinated, but up to now, with only 1.3 million doses injected, the number of poultry that have not been vaccinated is still very large, and the vaccination to create a wide protective layer has not been effectively implemented.

Mr. Ngo Duc Quynh - Deputy Head of the Provincial Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine said: Vaccination is the most effective and safest measure to ensure the safety of livestock during the peak season of disease outbreaks. However, in reality, vaccination is only carried out well on farms and ranches, while for small-scale livestock households, people's awareness is not high. In addition, the situation of arbitrarily buying vaccines of incorrect origin and type is still common, leading to both failure to prevent disease and a decrease in the resistance of poultry.

The unit has also recommended that localities and livestock farmers increase the synchronous application of biosafety measures; regularly clean and disinfect barns with lime powder and chemicals; organize general cleaning, disinfection and sterilization to destroy pathogens in livestock areas.

Full vaccination is the safest measure to prevent H5N1 outbreaks. Photo: QA

At the same time, local authorities need to have a plan to strictly control the transportation and trading of poultry and poultry products in the area. Strengthen communication so that people do not participate in the trading and transportation of sick poultry. For livestock households, absolutely do not throw poultry carcasses and untreated waste into the environment, increasing the risk of spreading the disease, but must report to the authorities for proper handling. For consumers, it is necessary to choose food with clear origin and source to ensure safety./.