The
Vientiane Health Department has advised vendors to be extremely vigilant and
sell only healthy poultry, hoping to avert a bird flu outbreak after recent
reports of the virus in other Asian countries.
The warning comes as the Chinese and
Vietnamese New Year approaches, when thousands of families will buy extra ducks
and chickens for celebratory meals.
The bird flu virus is typically prevalent
during periods of cooler weather, so the department is calling for special
precautions to be taken.
Department Deputy Director General Dr
Phonepaseuth Ounaphom told Vientiane Times yesterday that medical staff had
been advised to closely monitor the number of flu cases reported before, during
and after the New Year.
"In order to avoid health issues and in
particular an outbreak of the H5N1 virus which is more likely to occur when
temperatures drop, we have asked our staff to be on the alert for symptoms of
the virus over the New Year," he said.
The department has also asked the authorities
to closely inspect poultry on sale at Vientiane's four main markets--Sikhay,
Khuadin, Nongniew and Thongkhankham. Medical staff and veterinarians from
Vientiane's nine districts have been recommended to press upon vendors the
importance of selling only healthy birds.
Phonepaseuth said the public should not buy
unhealthy looking birds and if they see any on sale they should immediately
inform officials at the Ministry of Health or Agriculture and Forestry
Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
To guard against bird flu or any infectious
virus or bacteria (such as botulism and salmonella), different chopping boards
should be used when preparing raw or cooked meat and poultry. The boards should
be regularly disinfected, all meat and poultry should be well cooked, and
anyone in contact with food of any sort must make sure their hands are clean.
Although there hasn't been an outbreak of bird
flu in Laos since 2007, health officials are on the alert and the public has
been made aware of the dangers of the H5N1 virus.
It is believed that the virus originated in
Hong Kong in 1997.
Following a report of outbreaks of avian
influenza in China and Vietnam, the National Centre for Laboratory and
Epidemiology last week advised medical experts throughout the country to raise
public awareness of the possibility of an outbreak and the safeguards to be
taken.
The centre's Director Dr Phengta Vongphrachanh
said the situation was being monitored nationwide.
Xayxana Leukai
Vientiane Times
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