Public advised serious caution against bird flu

Health officials are advising residents not to buy chicken directly from the market Agricultural and health officials have advised the public to buy processed, tested chicken following two recent bird flu outbreaks in the northern region with one person affected.

Hoang Van Nam, deputy head of the Animal Health Bureau under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, said although bird flu has appeared in Vietnam for many years, people continue to eat fowl that have died of unknown reasons. Nam blamed ineffective awareness campaigns for the problem, noting that local officials have failed to implement anti-bird flu measures that had proven to be effective. Bird flu vaccines are available in abundance but were not being used quickly, he said. Market vendors around Hanoi have complained about consumers turning their back on processed chicken, even though they were tested and stamped for safety. People prefer live ducks or chickens and are choosing to have them killed and processed right at the market. “Such habits help spread the disease when the birds are not quarantined strictly,” Nam said. “We have to try harder to make the residents change their habits.” Deputy Director Nguyen Van Yen of the capital city’s Health Department said the campaign has to start with local authorities and health officials have to keep closer watch on every stage where bird flu can occur: from farming, transporting and slaughtering to selling. Bird flu outbreaks were reported in Thai Nguyen and Thanh Hoa provinces last week. Based on Health Ministry regulations, an area is officially recognized to be epidemic-free once no new cases occur within 21 days. Earlier this week, authorities reported Vietnam’s first human case of bird flu since early last year, the victim being an eight-year-old girl in Thanh Hoa. (See related news on page 12)