Wild birds being sold at the Thạnh Hóa Agricultural Market in Long An Province. —Photo vietnamplus.vn

HCM CITY — The Việt Nam Administration of Forestry has instructed province and city agriculture departments around the country to carefully monitor wildlife imports amid the public health emergency caused by the new strain of coronavirus.

It is widely believed that the coronavirus infection spread from wild animals.  

The departments have been told to focus on monitoring border gates and routes through which wild animals are smuggled in.

Animal organs, which are used to make medicines and others are also to be kept out.

The administration has urged local authorities to improve oversight of the sale of wild animals and their raising and processing.

If wild animals contract infectious diseases, they should be isolated and treated as prescribed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, it said.

Following the warnings, Trần Văn Cần, chairman of the Long An Province People’s Committee, said his administration has instructed local authorities to improve management of wildlife-related activities and crack down on the illegal sale and purchase in time.

He also ordered them to monitor illegal sale and purchase at the Thạnh Hóa Agricultural Market in Thạnh Hóa District.

Violators would be fined, he warned.

The province is keeping a close eye out for H5N1 influenza, which has broken out in China’s Wuhan city, and when any outbreak occurs, local authorities and other relevant agencies should co-ordinate preventive measures to contain it, he said.

Birds with H5N1 infection should be destroyed and farmers who own them should get timely assistance from authorities, he said.

The transport, slaughter and sale of poultry in urban areas and those with high populations or at high risk of the disease should also be monitored carefully, he said.

Transport of poultry infected with H5N1 and other diseases should be banned to prevent their spread, he added. — VNS