Ho Chi Minh City is concerned regarding the risk of introducing avian influenza, such as influenza A (H5N1), through illegal poultry transportation and trading activities.
Animals infected with avian flu are treated as a biohazard. Photo: Tim Nicholson.
The People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City continued to send emergency documents to city departments, branches, and district People’s Committees to strengthen the prevention and control of AH5N1 influenza even following the urgent documents were received by the Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute on February 24.
In the health sector, city leaders have suggested continuing to monitor, detect and collect samples for testing to determine the cause of disease in the following cases:
– Severe viral pneumonia occurs in all medical facilities in the area, paying particular attention to people with an epidemiological history of traveling to and from epidemic areas.
– People with respiratory infections or illnesses of unknown origin.
– If you have flu symptoms such as fever, cough, chest pain, or shortness of breath with a history of direct contact with poultry.
City leaders suggested that people need to be informed regarding personal hygiene measures such as washing hands regularly with soap and water, avoiding consuming, trading or using poultry and poultry products that have died for unknown reasons. People with suspected influenza A symptoms will be monitored and quarantined, wearing masks as needed.
In addition, the health sector minimizes the severity of patients and deaths by preparing to quickly receive, isolate, and treat patients suspected or infected of influenza A (H5N1).
For the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, city leaders suggested stepping up disinfection of livestock areas to destroy pathogens. Complete influenza vaccination of poultry. Birds suspected of being infected with or testing positive for avian influenza virus should be destroyed.
According to the Cambodian Ministry of Health, so far, there have been two confirmed cases of influenza AH5N1 in Cambodia, including an 11-year-old girl (deceased) and her father. Her father also tested negative.
Moreover, 29 people tested for the H5N1 virus in the village of Praiveng Province, where the baby died, tested negative for the virus, the Khmer Times reported on February 26.
Two neighboring countries, Vietnam and Thailand, are actively taking countermeasures to prevent the invasion of influenza AH5N1.
