Directive No. 3634/CT-BNN-TY on Strengthening Emergency Measures to Prevent and Control Animal Diseases; Quarantine, Supervision of Transport, and Animal Products

DIRECTIVE

Von the Strengthening urgent measures to prevent and control animal diseases; quarantine, control transportation, and products of animals

From the beginning of 2011 until now, avian influenza has occurred in 71 communes of 40 districts in 21 provinces and cities with a total of 99,780 diseased poultry (including: 37,558 chickens, 61,171 ducks, and 1,051 geese). The number of poultry that died and had to be destroyed was 132,667. Blue Ear Disease has occurred in 168 communes of 39 districts in 16 provinces and cities with 20,406 diseased pigs, of which 15,656 were destroyed. Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) has occurred in 1,767 communes of 234 districts in 16 provinces and cities with 77,629 diseased buffaloes, 8,578 cattle, and 41,692 diseased pigs, of which 6,889 buffaloes and cattle and 31,642 pigs and 213 goats were destroyed. In recent times, animal diseases have been basically controlled, with no new outbreaks occurring. However, during the New Year and Tet holidays, abnormal weather conditions combined with the circulation and trade of animals and animal products for Tet will create favorable conditions for many pathogens to exist and spread, thus the risk of disease recurrence is very high. Additionally, quarantine and control of animal transportation and animal products at many localities have been lax, with many cases of transporting diseased livestock and poultry and untraceable animal products being detected and seized by enforcement agencies; particularly, some cases involved collusion from veterinary quarantine officers.

To prevent and control dangerous infectious diseases affecting animals such as avian influenza, Foot-and-Mouth Disease, Blue Ear Disease, etc., ensuring food supply and food safety for consumers during the Nhâm Thìn Tet holiday, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Head of the National Steering Committee for Avian Influenza Prevention and Control, requests relevant ministries, sectors, and provincial People's Committees to strengthen management, supervision of animal diseases, transportation of livestock and poultry, and trading of animal-origin food products before, during, and after the Nhâm Thìn Tet holiday, focusing on the following points:

1. Provincial People's Committees under the Central Government shall direct all levels of authority and departments in their localities to strictly implement guiding documents from the Prime Minister, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and other ministries and sectors regarding the National Steering Committee for Avian Influenza Prevention and Control's enhanced work on preventing and controlling livestock and poultry diseases, with particular emphasis on the following contents:

a) For avian influenza:

Strengthen early monitoring and detection efforts; when an outbreak occurs, samples must be sent for testing immediately, and the affected poultry flock must be destroyed right away, while surrounding areas must be disinfected and quarantined to prevent the movement of poultry out of the infected area. Publicize the dangers of the disease to all citizens, advising them not to come into contact with or consume diseased or unknown-source poultry, and to report suspected cases promptly. Specifically, southern provinces must regularly vaccinate poultry against avian influenza, temporarily establish closed immunity for poultry flocks, and ensure vaccination coverage exceeds 80% of the total flock.

b) For Blue Ear Disease:

Strengthen disease detection efforts; when an outbreak occurs, apply strict control measures such as immediate destruction of dead and sick pigs, declaring the epidemic, establishing an epidemic control team, organizing disinfection and sterilization, temporarily halting pig and pig product transportation out of the affected district, using Blue Ear Disease vaccines to prevent the disease, and avoiding its spread to other regions.

c) For Foot-and-Mouth Disease:

Strengthen proactive surveillance in the locality to detect and handle outbreaks promptly upon their initial appearance, preventing further spread; assign responsibility for surveillance and handling of outbreaks to grassroots party committees, authorities, and veterinary staff; mobilize organizations, mass organizations, and the public to participate.

Organize the second round of Foot-and-Mouth Disease vaccination in the 2011 National Program to Control Foot-and-Mouth Disease, requiring coverage exceeding 80% of the total flock; for non-designated and buffer zones, require vaccination in old outbreak areas and high-risk areas.

d) Strictly implement legal provisions on animal and animal product quarantine for domestic transportation. Quarantine must be conducted at isolation facilities or centralized locations before transportation according to regulations, strictly prohibiting issuance of false quarantine certificates to shippers or issuing certificates without direct inspection and clear knowledge of origin and intended use.

đ) Direct relevant agencies such as the Police, Market Management to cooperate with local Animal Health Services, border quarantine stations to strictly control the circulation and transportation of animals and animal products in accordance with the law. Promptly detect, stop, and penalize illegal transportation of animals and animal products.

2. Border Province People's Committees shall direct all levels of authority and departments within the province, such as Border Guard, Customs, Police, Market Management, Health, Veterinary Services, Transportation, etc., to strictly control the smuggling of animals and animal products across borders. If smuggled animals and animal products (especially live poultry, internal organs, and other products from livestock and poultry) from neighboring countries are found entering Vietnam, they must be dealt with thoroughly according to regulations.

3. The Ministry of Finance shall direct the General Department of Customs to cooperate with animal quarantine agencies to strictly manage and supervise temporary import for re-export and transshipment of frozen food products of animal origin, ensuring all goods are re-exported out of Vietnam; strictly penalize violations of temporary import for re-export and transshipment regulations for frozen food products.

4. The Ministry of Public Security shall direct traffic police forces to cooperate with veterinary forces and market management forces to strictly control the transportation of animals and animal products circulating within the country.

5. The Ministry of Information and Communications shall direct central and local propaganda agencies to widely publicize regulations on preventing and controlling animal diseases, transporting, consuming livestock, poultry, and livestock and poultry products, especially providing timely and accurate information about violations and their handling in the importation, temporary import for re-export, domestic transportation, and business operations involving animals and animal products that do not comply with regulations and pose risks of animal disease outbreaks and food safety issues.

6. Units under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

a) The Department of Animal Health shall direct:

- Strengthening strict inspections and supervision of the transportation and sale of livestock and poultry within the territory and across borders, strictly implementing quarantine at the source, effectively controlling the transportation of livestock and poultry and livestock and poultry products into and out of the territory;

- Enhancing technical quarantine measures, inspecting food safety indicators, and supervising labeling and origin requirements for exported food products.

- Organizing inspection teams to investigate the smuggling of animals and animal products across borders; quarantine work for the transportation of animals and animal products, and the operations of border quarantine stations in some key provinces and cities.

b) The Inspectorate shall cooperate with the Department of Animal Health to organize inspections and checks on the implementation of legal provisions regarding the slaughter of animals; quarantine work for imported and exported animals and animal products, and domestic transportation in some key areas.

We request the Chairpersons of the People's Committees of centrally governed cities and provinces, leaders of member ministries and sectors of the National Steering Committee for Avian Influenza Prevention and Control to direct units to strictly implement this Directive and report to the National Steering Committee for consolidation and reporting to the Prime Minister.

During the course of direction, if there are any difficulties, we request the People's Committees of provinces and cities, ministries, and sectors to notify the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for timely coordination and resolution.