VietNamNet Bridge – A new type of food and mouth disease (FMD) virus has emerged in the provinces of Ha Tinh and Thanh Hoa, in central Vietnam, but there is no suitable vaccine for it.

Salaganes infected with A/H5N1, hundreds of families worry 

 

 

At a briefing on the prevention of animal diseases on April 16, the Department of Animal Health (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) reported that the foot and mouth disease is dangerously developing in Ha Tinh and Thanh Hoa, with the emergence of a new type A virus. Meanwhile, foot and mouth disease vaccine in Vietnam is only for type O virus and synthesis vaccine for three virus types. The reserve of the synthetic vaccine is 325,000 doses but this vaccine does not work with type A virus.

According to the department’s Deputy Director – Mr. Dam Xuan Thanh, Vietnam does not yet have the plan to prevent the new FMD virus type. This virus type has also appeared in Thailand and this country is making research to produce vaccine itself.

The authorities said the blue ear epidemic has spread in several northern provinces, making the prices for pork and eggs fall.

Another issue of public concern is avian flu in salanganes and pheasants, but the source of infection has not been detected.

According to the Department of Animal Health, salanganes are wild birds so it is difficult to determine the origin of influenza A H5N1 germs. The department has tested 180 samples of living birds, 120 samples of bird feces and 144 samples of bird’s nests, all with negative results for influenza A H5N1. Only two dead birds are defined positive for influenza A H5N1.

Thanh said that Mongolia and South Korea had recently identified H7N9 influenza virus in wild birds. The birds carried the virus but they did not die. H7N9 virus has not been detected in poultry in Vietnam.

Concerning illegal import of chicken, Deputy Director of the Animal Husbandry Department – Mr. Nguyen Duc Trong - said more than three tons of Chinese substandard chicken was discovered in Hanoi’s Ha Vi wholesale market on April 16.

Also, the tests of illegal chickens revealed that up to 46 percent of the samples with avian influenza virus, over 95 percent with residues of antibiotics toxic (hormones, growth stimulants).

Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development – Mr. Deputy Vu Van Tam – asked the Animal Health Department to quickly finalize the project of "Prevention of trade of illegal poultry " and the instruction on prevention of avian influenza in salanganes.

Na Son