Proactively prevent diseases remotely with vaccines

No dangerous disease outbreaks

Mr. Nguyen Trong Hiep, Head of the Office of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine (Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine of Binh Thuan province) said, as of August 2023, the total herd of cows in the whole province is nearly 180,000 cows (an increase of 3%); the pig herd has 378,000 pigs (not including piglets with mothers), increased by 9% and the poultry herd was nearly 6.6 million (an increase of 23%) compared to the same period last year.

In recent months, the livestock situation in the province has not seen epidemics such as poultry rot, papular dermatitis in buffaloes and cows, foot and mouth disease in cattle, blue ear in pigs and African swine fever. Some other infectious diseases occur in livestock and poultry but at a sporadic level and do not spread into epidemics.

Mr Nguyen Duc Tien, a pig-raising household in Duc Hanh commune, Duc Linh district said, that thanks to focusing on full and timely vaccination to prevent diseases and ensure nutrition, animals have improved resistance, so his pork herd always ensures disease safety.

According to Mr Nguyen Duc Tien, from the beginning of the year until now, his family has exported 3 batches of about 90 pigs, with prices ranging from VND 53,000 - 60,000/kg, after deducting average interest costs of less than VND 1 million/head.

Similarly, Ms Nguyen Thi Tham's family, in Hong Trung village, Hong Phong commune, Bac Binh district, specializes in raising free-range chickens and also ensures disease safety with no bird flu.

Ms. Tham said that to prevent diseases in the chicken flock, the owner's family vaccinates against avian influenza restricts people from entering and leaving the livestock area and regularly sprays disinfectants on the farm and around it. Thanks to that, with her parent chicken flock always maintained at 500 chickens, each year she sells 1,000 broiler chickens and 7,000-8,000 breeding chickens, after deducting interest costs of about VND 200 million.

Mr Phan Van Tan, Deputy Director of Binh Thuan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said that from the beginning of the year until now, the livestock and poultry herds in the area do not have epidemics, thanks to the localities performing good disease prevention and control work. Especially promoting vaccination work associated with strengthening veterinary hygiene control and management of business and slaughter activities.

Accordingly, Binh Thuan province has organized vaccination of livestock and poultry diseases with more than 15 million vaccine doses, equal to 102% over the same period and reaching 66% of the 2023 plan. At the same time, more than 4.3 million animals were quarantined, equal to 114% over the same period and reaching 96% of the 2023 plan and controlling the slaughter of 43,000 cattle and poultry of all kinds, approximately the same period in 2022.

In addition, Binh Thuan veterinary industry also coordinates with local authorities to effectively implement the month of general cleaning, disinfection and disinfection of the livestock environment in the first phase of 2023. The total number of chemicals used during the month of cleaning and disinfection was nearly 13,000 litres of disinfectant and 20 tons of lime, with more than 246 disinfection sprays at markets, nearly 220 sprays at public places and thousands of livestock facilities and slaughterhouses in the province.

Ensure at least 80% vaccination

Mr Phan Van Tan, Deputy Director of Binh Thuan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development emphasized that vaccination of livestock is one of the proactive and effective disease prevention measures, to ensure stable and sustainable livestock development. However, through monitoring, some localities have low vaccination rates, with slow inspection and monitoring of diseases in livestock and poultry herds not regular.

A small number of livestock farmers have a subjective mindset towards epidemics and do not pay attention to vaccination of livestock and poultry and hygiene, disinfect the livestock environment; and delay in reporting the epidemic situation for timely handling.

To overcome the above situation, the Binh Thuan agricultural sector directed the Binh Thuan Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine to coordinate localities to strengthen propaganda for livestock households to comply with regulations on disease prevention and control in livestock herds.

At the same time, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development will coordinate with departments, branches and People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to implement a Project to strengthen the system of specialized veterinary management agencies at all levels for the period 2021 - 2030. This is to ensure streamlining, efficiency, effectiveness, suitability with practice, and meeting the work of animal disease prevention and control.

Currently, farmers are starting to focus on regenerating their herds, creating a source of meat supply for the market in the last months of the year and the upcoming holidays. Along with that, the need to trade, transport, slaughter, and consume animals and animal products has increased sharply, leading to the risk of dangerous diseases occurring in livestock and poultry during this period being very high.

Therefore, the Deputy Director of Binh Thuan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development said that he will direct the Provincial Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine to review and guide localities to organize and perform the work of vaccination. Additional vaccination against animal diseases, ensures a minimum rate of over 80% of the total herd that is at risk and subject to vaccination, ensuring that livestock and poultry herds are protected.

Especially promote vaccination against diseases transmitted from animals to humans such as: rabies in dogs and cats; Avian influenza H5N1, H5N6... Effectively deploy the second month of general cleaning, disinfection and environmental detoxification from September 15 to October 15, 2023.