The Vietnamese government has called on international partners to help mobilize resources to ensure early detection, prevention and control of a new strain of avian influenza A (H7N9) amid emergence of the deadly virus in China. The call was made at a conference in Hanoi May 6 organized within the framework of the Partnership on Avian and Human Influenza (PAHI) to map priority areas for disease control in Vietnam. Minister of Health Nguyen Thi Kim Tien and Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Dr Cao Duc Phat stressed the need for all sectors to collaborate and take early action as well as to engage the international community to help lessen the possible impact of H7N9 in Vietnam and the rest of the region. With support from the World Health Organization (WHO) and international partners, the Ministry of Health has put in place a surveillance program in the northern region of Vietnam to monitor for H7N9 viruses in poultry. At 60 live bird markets and bird gathering places, 18,000 samples will be collected from poultry. As of May 4, 2013, according to the WHO, there are total 128 cases of influenza A (H7N9) infection in humans, including 27 deaths. Currently, there is no evidence of human-to-human transmission. Vietnam has recorded no cases of influenza A (H7N9) in either humans or poultry. (WHO Press Release May 6)
