Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam would place itself in a scenario in whichhuman bird flu infections could has been detected so as to take drastic actionsto prevent the intrusion of avianinfluenza viruses that are raging in next-door neighbour China, said DeputyMinister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long.

He made the request at a meeting on March 3 withthe Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of Dangerous and EmergingDiseases to discuss ways to prevent highly virulent bird flu viruses which areable to transmit to humans.

Deputy Director of the Health Ministry’sPreventive Medicine Department Hoang Minh Duc said Vietnam has yet to detectany A/H7N9 infections in poultry or humans. It hasn’t found any human A/H5N1 casefrom the outset of 2017.

According to the Preventive Medicine Department,the epidemic of A/H7N9 virus was first recorded in China in March 2013 andcaused by avian influenza. It has been spreading quickly in the country sinceOctober 2016 with 449 people contracting A/H7N9 virus, including 96 deaths, inthe first two months of 2017.

The A/H7N9 epidemic is hitting China’s Yunnanand Guangxi provinces, which border seven Vietnamese provinces (Dien Bien, LaiChau, Lao Cai, Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Lang Son, and Quang Ninh). About 1,000 –10,000 people and 100 – 200 vehicles travel between the two countries throughthe border gates at these Vietnamese localities each day.

Meanwhile, Vietnam recorded hotbeds of A/H5N1 virusin poultry in seven communes and wards of six districts and townships of centralNghe An province, Mekong delta Can Tho city, and southernmost Ca Mau provincein 2016, said the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development.

Since the beginning of 2017, A/H5N1 has beenspotted in farms in the southern provinces of Bac Lieu, An Giang, Soc Trang,Dong Nai, northern Nam Dinh province and central Nghe An province while A/H5N6has been recorded in central Quang Ngai province.

Experts said some avian influenza viruses likeH7N9, H5N2, and H5N8 that have yet to be reported in Vietnam may enter thecountry through smuggling as well as the trading and consumption of smuggledpoultry or fowls with unclear origin, especially in northern border provinces.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister Long said thecountry has made strong moves to prevent bird flu, but the viruses aredeveloping complicatedly in China and could appear in Vietnam.

Though a travel warning over bird flu has yet tobe issued, people should consider restricting their travel to infected areas toavoid contracting the viruses, he added.-VNA