Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Vietnam: Farmers called on to fight livestock diseases

17-12-2008

HA NOI — The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) has devoted a month to fight diseases in cattle and poultry.

With help from the Animal Health Department, the campaign began yesterday and will last until January 15.

It will call on farmers to take positive preparations to prevent possible epidemics in cattle, poultry and humans.

Diseases, mostly bird flu and foot-and-mouth disease, often occur during the cooler months and because of the larger trading in meat for Tet (lunar new year festival).

Farmers are being asked to clean and decontaminate the places they raise and slaughter their animals twice a week as well as preventing wild birds from mixing with their poultry.

Farmers are also being asked to decontaminate incubators on a daily basis, nearby paths and vehicles carrying eggs and chicks.

Similar steps must also be taken at poultry and cattle trading places at the end of each day.

Deputy Minister Bui Ba Bong said bird flu had occurred in 80 communes since early this year. All epidemics had been controlled, except in the central province of Nghe An.

Bong also said two per cent of poultry had latent bird-flu virus so the epidemic could highly re-occur in many localities.


Bong said the provinces of Nghe An, Yen Bai, Ninh Binh, Thai Binh and Ha Tinh still had traces of foot-and-mouth disease. — VNS

hat-tip Shiloh

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