Virus strain H7N3: High virulence, spread to humans

On 11/12, the National Steering Committee for Avian Influenza Prevention reported that bird flu has appeared in Viet Yen and Yen Dung districts of Bac Giang province, killing more than 1,000 ducks.

Previously, on December 10, Mr. Nguyen Ba Thanh, Director of Regional Animal Health Center VII, in Can Tho City, also officially confirmed: the bird flu (H5N1) recurred in the duck of 1,300 heads of farm. Son Lang people, Giong Thanh hamlet, Nhi Truong commune, Cau Ngang district, Tra Vinh province.

The SGGP released on 12/12 added: in particular, while the situation of bird flu in China is very complicated, in the past two weeks, China has been continuously infected by two people with the H5N1 virus, one person dead. Meanwhile, the smuggling of poultry at Lang Son border has not declined, nearly 6,000kg of chickens and 15,000 breeding chickens have been confiscated and destroyed by the Market Management Department in the past week.

Bird flu (H5N1) is coming back.(Photo: AP)

Reportedly, in early December, many countries and territories in Asia announced the emergence of avian influenza outbreaks. In particular, there have been outbreaks caused by other viral strains such as H7N3 in Korea, H7N8 in Canada.

According to the Director of Animal Health Department (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) Bui Quang Anh, the H7N3 influenza virus strain detected in South Korea and Canada is highly virulent, proving its ability to infect humans.

In the Netherlands, a veterinarian died of infection with the H7N3 strain. Also according to the Department of Animal Health, there is a situation of using unidentified vaccines in some localities to increase the risk of outbreaks of bird flu, foot and mouth disease and blue ears in pigs.

Facing this situation, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Bui Ba Bong asked local departments and agencies to well implement vaccination for bird flu vaccines in phase II - 2007, and to develop a project to test vaccines of all types. in poultry and blue ears in pigs as soon as possible. The trial will be undertaken by the Veterinary Institute (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) and announced the results before the 2008 step.

Duc Long (synthesized)