The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the U.S. Centre for Disease Control on Apr 21 signed a Letter of Intent on strengthening activities related to influenza and other animal-human diseases. Under the letter, the U.S. will provide $160,000 for projects studying the influenza pathways between humans, poultry and pigs in Vietnam, the Tuoi Tre newspaper reported Thursday. The letter is under framework of the 2010 International Ministerial Conference on Animal and Pandemic Influenza wrapping up in Hanoi. 70 participating countries made a declaration proposing a multi-sector of national measures to promptly detect new diseases that may cross from animals to humans.
