The number of birds killed in the central province of Khanh Hoa and the northwestern province of Lao Cai has reached almost 20,000, members of the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and Control heard at a meeting here on Wednesday.
Vietnam News Agency (VNA) reports the outbreak was attributed to the complicated weather in the first two months of the year, and the increase in shipping and trading of poultry during the recently-ended Lunar New Year (Tet) festival.
“If localities fail to intensify scrutiny and take swift measures, bird flu could develop into an epidemic,” warned the department's deputy head Dam Xuan Thanh.
Participants at the meeting agreed that all localities where the disease has reoccurred or has yet to be detected should focus on preventing illegal import and trading of poultry.
Local authorities will also tighten inspections at border gates and take prompt preventive measures against the bird flu virus and human-transmission strains such as H5N1 and H7N9.
With a population of around 10 million, Ho Chi Minh City consumes a large amount of poultry on a daily basis with many brought in from other localities.
The city has signed cooperation agreements with localities such as Dong Nai, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, Binh Duong, Long An and Tien Giang in monitoring and preventing epidemic diseases, and managing food safety.
— Bernama
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