Provincial and municipal People’s Committees must immediately set up working groups to supervise the prevention and combat against the epidemic, focusing on high-risk groups.

They are also requested to keep a close watch on the disease to promptly stamp out outbreaks, and establish check points to clamp down illegal poultry transport.

In border provinces, quarantine must be intensified, and no unchecked poultry and poultry products are allowed to be transported through the border.

At the same time, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) ordered its Animal Health Department to collect disease samples, and provide effective vaccination guidelines.

Livestock Husbandry Department and National Agricultural Extension Centre have instructed poultry farmers and traders on hygiene, sterilisation, and safe breeding models to minimise the bird flu risks.

According to the ministry, numerous cold spells in the coming time will impact poultry’s disease resistance while poultry products trafficking will also increase.

As many as 140 people in China have so far this year contracted the H7N9 virus, including 47 fatalities. H10N8 virus also killed one in Jiangxi province.

To date, no avian influenza H7N9 and H10N8 cases have been recorded in Vietnam, but there is a high risk of bird flu epidemic in the country, particularly in northern border provinces and cities such as Bac Giang, Bac Ninh, Hai Duong, Hung Yen, Ha Nam, Hanoi and Hai Phong.