AKP Phnom Penh, March 01, 2013 —
The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) has issued a circular on measures to control and prevent the spread of avian influenza H5N1.
The RGC instructed the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) to continue to implement necessary and urgent measures to prevent the spread of H5N1 by closely and permanently monitoring the poultry’s health across the country, by implementing the bio-safety and hygiene measures at the farms and markets, and by using all means to raise public awareness about this deadly disease, said the circular signed today by Prime Minister Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen.
The MAFF and the Ministry of Health are ordered to continue their cooperation in information exchange, while the Ministry of Interior has to advise the municipal and provincial governors to take urgent and severe measures to prevent any illegal trade of poultry and poultry products, according to the circular.
Meanwhile, local authorities, relevant ministries and institutions, gendarmerie, national police and sub-national administrations must increase their cooperation and participate actively with the MAFF and the Ministry of Health in implementing measures to prevent the avian influenza H5N1.
In the first two months of this year, nine people have been found positive for avian influenza H5N1, 8 of them died, said the circular, adding that since 2005, 27 out of 30 H5N1-infected patients have died in Cambodia.
