HANOI (Bernama-Xinhua): Vietnam faces a high risk of animal-to-human disease infection with 27 deaths from rabies and one death from avian influenza since early this year, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Phung Duc Tien this week.
The situation has posed a warning over the complicated development of diseases in Vietnam this year, he said at a conference on strengthening prevention and control of zoonotic diseases, reported Xinhua.
Small-scale livestock disease outbreaks, cross-border transmission and extreme weather conditions are the leading factors raising infection risks from animals to humans, he noted.
According to deputy health minister Nguyen Thi Huong Lien, Vietnam has recorded two avian influenza cases in humans since 2022, with one death reported in March 2024.
Meanwhile, rabies always poses a high risk of fatality. In 2023, Vietnam recorded 82 deaths from rabies.
Twenty-seven deaths were reported in the first three months of this year with the number of infections surging, especially in the Central Highlands region, the official told the conference.
The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development predicted that more zoonotic disease outbreaks will be seen in the coming time.
Bringing the infection source of zoonotic diseases under control remains challenging and requires joint efforts by various sectors, according to the ministries. - Bernama-Xinhua
