Vietnam bans chicken transport nationwide, two thirds of provinces hit
HANOI - Prime Minister Phan Van Khai has imposed a ban on all transport of chicken across Vietnam to fight bird flu, which has already spread to almost two thirds of the country's 64 provinces.
According to Bui Quang Anh, director of the veterinary department in the ministry of agriculture and rural development, Khai met ministers and officials from contaminated provinces Friday to organize the isolation of infected areas.
"Seven million poultry have been culled since the beginning of the epidemic and another seven provinces were infected," Anh said.
"Up to now, 41 provinces are contaminated" he said.
Among the new areas are five central provinces.
State media said the prime minister had asked several ministries including defence and police to set up control stations and prevent the transport of poultry from one locality to another.
"Bird flu is spreading and developing complicatedly. Therefore, agencies and authorities at all levels should immediately take prevention measures, considering this an urgent and focal task," Khai was quoted as saying by Vietnam News Agency.
In human terms, Vietnam is the worst affected of the 10 Asian nations to have confirmed outbreaks of bird flu. Eight Vietnamese have died from 10 confirmed H5N1 infections. Dozens more remain hospitalised as suspected cases.
The World Health Organisation has said rapid elimination of the virus in bird populations was critical to preventing a potential global pandemic that could kill millions of people.
"We are glad to see the high level of political involvement on the part of the Vietnamese government," WHO spokesman in Hanoi, Bob Dietz, said Saturday.
"It is clear the leadership now realize the magnitude of the problem the country is facing".
The United Nations (news - web sites) Food and Agriculture Organisation has warned that not enough birds were being culled in Vietnam, mainly because farmers were receiving inadequate compensation.
But, experts say the speed with which the deadly virus has spread was also due to the disorganization and lack of equipment in Vietnam's veterinary sector.
"The FAO has prepared guidelines for developed countries and industrial farms, not for family businesses. These guidelines just don't work in Vietnam", a foreign expert said, requesting anonymity.
The central government has instructed that all poultry within a three kilometre (two-mile) radius of infections must be slaughtered and a 10-kilometre isolation zone set up.
The foreign expert said however that he doubted the instructions were being fully respected throughout the country.
Dietz of the WHO said: "It is true that Vietnam is not in the same situation as a developed country. What you are capable of accomplishing in Japan or Netherlands is much harder to accomplish in Vietnam."
Prime Minister Khai is quoted in Tuoi Tre daily as saying he was dreading that all 64 provinces would become infected. He urged officials to make sure the epidemic would be controlled by the end of February.
Deputy minister of Defence, General Nguyen Van Rinh, said the army was ready to help with the culling of chickens.
Agence France Presse - January 30, 2004.
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