News - Control tightened on migrators from H5N1 virus-infected countries

All border gates nationwide need to tighten control on migrators entering Viet Nam from countries infected by H5N1 virus as part of the country?s efforts in preventing an outbreak of the flu in humans.

So said delegates at a session held by the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and Control in Ha Noi on Dec. 21 to work out drastic measures to prevent bird flu outbreak in humans.

The Ministry of Health has instructed quarantine stations in border gate areas in cities and provinces across the country to conduct strict supervision on foreigners entering Viet Nam by air, land and sea, as well as all poultry products.

Cooperation between local authorities in border gate areas of Viet Nam and other countries is also identified as crucial to accelerating joint health inspection among countries. To this end, the Nam Phao border gate in the central Ha Tinh province is asked to further its coordination with the Health Ministry of Laos.

Over 85,200 people from Type A (H5N1) flu-infected countries entering Viet Nam last week underwent strict supervision. All of them tested negative for the virus.

Participants at the conference also pointed to the need to step up other measures, with focus on scaling up surveillance, launching treatment method training and providing clinics and hospitals with new medical equipment.

Viet Nam has reported no more cases of humans infected with the H5N1 virus since the last one was detected on Nov. 14.-