The National Steering Committee for Avian Influenza Prevention and Control called for measures to be taken to prevent H7N9 flu from spreading from China into Vietnam.

The call was issued at an urgent meeting held by the committee with the participation of representatives of the ministries of health and agriculture and rural development.

The meeting focuses on reviewing the avian flu epidemic in China and discussing measures to prevent a spread into Vietnam. The risk of penetration of H7N9 flu into Vietnam in the near future is very high, especially in northern provinces that border China, the committee said. In the first week of 2014, 14 new H7N9 flu patients were recorded in China and the total number of infected people increased to 51 in China. The epidemic also was seen in Taiwan and Hong Kong, the committee said.  “The epidemic can penetrate into Vietnam at any time since there are a large volume of people and goods, including poultry, that travel between the two countries at their border everyday,” said Dr Tran Dac Phu, head of the health ministry’s Preventive Health Department. Meanwhile, the trade of poultry between the two countries via their border has not been controlled well, while the volume of poultry transported through the border is on the rise to meet higher demand for the coming Tet (lunar New Year), Phu said. The Ministry of Health has requested close control over passengers and goods entering Vietnam, especially through northern localities bordering China. Currently, the monitoring of body temperatures of visitors entering Vietnam is being carried out at airports and other border gates to detect those infected with avian flu viruses. Cases of serious pneumonia suspected to be caused by H7N9 virus must be closely monitored and samples must be taken for testing, the ministry said. Two more infections in China As two new cases were reported in China’s Henan Province on January 12, the total number of confirmed human infections of the H7N9 bird flu in China has risen to 51, 19 of whom have died, Xinhua News reported.   One of the victims is a 65-year-old farmer from Zhoukou who had frequent contacts with poultry in his residence. He is in a stable condition after receiving treatment. The other victim is a 34-year-old man surnamed Ma, a restaurant chef in Weishi county of Kaifeng city, who developed flu symptoms from April 6. He is in a critical condition and under ICU treatment in a local hospital. Both cases were tested positive for the H7N9 bird flu virus on Thursday by the Henan provincial center of disease control and prevention.H5N1 returns in Bac Ninh Besides H7N9, many other avian flu viruses such as H5N1, H1N1, H9N2 are also of great concern, said the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. On January 2, H5N1 virus appeared again in the northern Bac Ninh province. Of the 144 poultry markets in 44 provinces and cities that have been inspected since 2013, 90 markets, or 60 percent, tested positive to the H5N1 virus. The ministry said it will report the H5N1 flu situation to the Prime Minister and proposed him to issue an urgent message to relevant agencies ordering them to take effective measures to prevent H5N1 outbreaks.