To deal with an outbreak of blue-ear pig disease in the country, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung Wednesday ordered localities to quickly deploy public health measures preventing the disease from the outbreak.
A local health servant disinfects sick pigs in Vu Thu District, northern province of Thai Binh. (Photo:VNA)
The PM asked provinces and cities where the disease was found to strictly forbid transporting and selling pigs contaminated with the disease, focus on quarantining sick pigs.
Local health authorities would be punished if they fail to prevent residents from dumping dead pigs’.
Since the end of March, the blue-ear pig disease has broken out in several northern provinces, including Hai Duong, Thai Binh, Hung Yen, Bac Ninh and Thai Nguyen, causing a big damages for breeders as well as raising concerns over epidemic prevention in localities, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development reported.
According to the Animal Health Department, thousands of pigs have contracted the virus so far. Hung Yen Province has the largest figure with 10,000 cases, followed by Thai Binh Province with about 7,000 cases.
On the same day, Ho Chi Minh City Pasteur Institute organized a seminar on cholera and measures to prevent spread of cholera.
Speaking at the seminar, Dr. Le Truong Giang, Vice Director of the HCMC Health Department said the city continued to control over the spread of cholera and quarantine new cases meanwhile many street vendors in the city did not ensure safety food, especially lack fresh water for cleaning dishes.
The city will hold a training course for street food sellers to enhance awareness on safety and hygiene food in the end of May, said Mr. Giang.
According to HCMC Pasteur Institute deputy director, Dr. Le Hoang San, a threat of cholera spreading from Cambodia where over 300 cholera patients and five deaths have been reported.
According to the Health Ministry, Vietnam has 19 cholera cases in five provinces – five cases in An Giang, seven cases in HCM City, five in Hai Duong, one in Bac Ninh and one in Hanoi.
The institute will also coordinate with Cambodia to control cholera and prevent the spread of the disease to Vietnam, said Mr. San.
