BANGKOK, 07 September 2015 (NNT) – The Department of Livestock Development (DID) has ordered border authorities to maintain rigorous screening measures, following outbreaks of avian flu in Vietnam.
The department has been following the situation closely and has ensured that immigration and customs officials exercise due diligence in screening for avian flu.
DID officials have been dispatched to poultry farms across the country to vaccinate their livestock. Farmers are to report any sign of disease among their animals to local authorities for inspection and refrain from selling or consuming infected livestock. In the event of an outbreak, accepted actions are to cull and dispose of livestock via burial or incineration, as per instructions from local officials.
The department also ordered local authorities to set up checkpoints at major inbound routes for sanitizing livestock and vehicles.
Vietnam has reported three outbreaks from July – August. In the last month alone, H5N1 and H5N6 strains affected more than 10,000 poultry. The H5N1 outbreak affected 1,550 birds in Vinh Long province on August 24, while the H5N6 outbreak affected 8,600 poultry in Quang Ngai province on August 20. Only 2,000 birds died from the virus, but the rest were culled to contain the disease. The origins of the outbreaks have not been confirmed.
