Vietnam: Responsibilities for handling of epidemic hotspots of terrestrial animals

The responsibilities of organizations and individuals in handling terrestrial animal disease outbreaks to control the spread of the outbreaks are specified in Article 25 of the Law on Veterinary Medicine 2015 of Vietnam.

To be specific:

Responsibilities of owners of animals/animal-raising establishments:

- Immediately isolate the infected animals or animals suspected of infection;

- Do not slaughter, trade or dump infected animals, animals denoting infection, dead animals, animal products carrying diseases into the environment;

- Carry out the cleansing, disinfection, decontamination, compulsory slaughter of infected animals, animals suspected of infection and dead animals according to the guidance of veterinary authorities and the legislations on environmental protection;

- Provide accurate information about the animal diseases at the request of veterinary authorities and veterinary staff of communes;

- Facilitate the inspection of competent agencies.

Responsibilities of veterinary staff of communes:

- Guide the owners of animals, owners of animal-raising establishments to comply with the regulations in clause 1 Article 25 of this Law;

- Carry out the prevention, fighting, diagnosis, treatment for animal diseases, harvest pathology specimens according to the guidelines of veterinary authorities;

- Report to Presidents of People’s Committees of communes the situations of animal diseases.

Responsibilities of People’s Committees of communes:

- Propagate the information about prevention and fighting against animal diseases in local areas;

- Direct the veterinary staff of communes and relevant organizations/individuals to conduct inspections and supervisions of owners of animals/animal raising establishments in the isolation of infected animals, reckon up the amount of infected animals, animals susceptible to animal diseases, cooperate with veterinary authorities of communes in harvesting pathology specimens;

- Organize the prevention of diseases by vaccine, provide fighting and treatment for animal diseases according to the guidelines of veterinary authorities;

- Make decision and steer the destruction of animals in the epidemic hotspots; conduct the cleansing and decontamination of animals/animals products raising/slaughtering/trading areas;

- Control the transport of animals/animal products into or out of epidemic hotspots.

Responsibilities of People’s Committees of districts:

- Allocate the funding for treating epidemic hotspots;

- Request veterinary authorities of districts, steer the relevant specialized divisions to determine epidemic hotspots, issue announcement via means of media in local areas and provide guidelines for the implementation of veterinary hygiene measures in raising, slaughtering, transport and trade of animals/animal products;

- Steer People’s Committees of communes to comply with the regulations on clause 3 Article 25 of this Law.

People's Committees of provinces shall direct the inferior People’s Committees and relevant specialized divisions in the treatment of epidemic hotspots, allocate the funding, subsidize the owners of animals, owners of animal-raising establishments having animals subject to destruction.

The Law on Veterinary Medicine 2015 of Vietnam takes effect from July 01, 2016.

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