Vietnam’s Health Ministry Warns of Possible Bird Flu Outbreaks

Vietnam’s Department of Preventive Medicine under the Ministry of Health on January 3 warned people to take preventive measures as it is highly likely that bird flu will occur in the festive season 2017. As per the department’s warning, people should not eat sick or dead poultry. Additionally, residents are not allowed to slaughter, transport or sell waterfowl without clear indication of origin. Once detecting sick or dead chicken, people should inform local administrators and animal health units. Noticeably, when people experience fever, cough, pain in chest and breathing problem, they must go to the hospital for timely examination and treatment. Yet relevant agencies still warned of the upcoming festive season, the increased demand for poultry and poultry products may be a high risk of transmission of bird flu to people if there are no any preventive measures from the localities. The World Health Organization said that in the end of 2016, bird flu developed complicatedly in many parts of the world. Bird flu strain A(H5) continued occur in countries in the world especially in wild birds and waterfowls in European and Asian countries such as Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, India, Israel, Holland, Poland, Russia and Switzerland. (vtv.vn Jan 3, laodongthudo.vn Jan 3)