Clinical guidelines for H7N9 avian flu needed

(VOV) - The Ministry of Health is urgently developing clinical guidelines for the new strain of avian flu A/H7N9 in the wake of the outbreak of the deadly disease in China.

China has so far reported a total of 28 H7N9 infections, including nine fatalities, since the flu was detected late last month.

At a meeting in Hanoi on April 9, experts said H7N9 patients normally show major flu-like symptoms of high temperatures, coughing, pneumonia and breathing difficulty.

Tightening the import of poultry and related products from China

The deadly virus has been found in chickens, quails and pigeons which might transmit to humans and cause a high fatality rate. Most Chinese infections are still sporadic and there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission.  

Medical centres are required to distinguish between suspect cases of A/H7N9, A/H1N1 and A/H5N1 based on their typical symptoms.

Although no H7N9 infections are yet to be detected in Vietnam, local people are warned of a possible spread of the highly virulent strain in the country. They are encouraged to use certified poultry and related products. 

Health Minister Nguyen Thi Kim Tien proposed that the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Ministry of Industry and Trade keep a tight grip on the import of poultry of unknown origin into Vietnam from China. 

The Ministry of Health has also issued a plan of action on A/H7N9 prevention, aiming to early detect and contain the disease when it enters Vietnam.

Blood samples will be sent to the Central Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology, and the Pasteur Institutes in HCM City and Nha Trang City for testing.

Scientists are concerned about a possible outbreak of a global pandemic as the source of infection is still unknown.

When effective drugs are not introduced, personal hygiene and community-based prevention are major preventative measures against the disease, said Nguyen Thanh Long, Deputy Minister of Health.

Suspected cases should be admitted to centrally-run hospitals, and the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi is one of those addresses, said Long.

Nguyen Van Kinh, director of the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said the hospital has developed its own plan of action against A/H7N9 avian flu.

The hospital now has 3,000 Tamiflu tablets, 23 respirators and two continuous blood purification machines.

The hospital is fully prepared to receive any suspected cases of H7N9 virus, said Kinh.

The Ministry of Health on April 9 inspected the international quarantine work at Tan Son Nhat International Airport and the preparedness for H7N9 at the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Ho Chi Minh City.
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