Vietnam is the 'hotspot' for zoonotic disease transmission

A/H5N1 caused one death, whereas rabies caused 27 deaths

On March 27, the Ministries of Health and Agriculture and Rural Development convened a virtual inter-sectoral conference to promote zoonotic disease prevention and control in 2024.

Hoang Minh Duc, Director of the General Department of Preventive Medicine (MoH), said that 75% of hazardous and developing illnesses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted from animals to people or have genetic roots in animal diseases.

Vietnam is a hotspot for infectious illnesses transferred from animals to people, including A/H5N1, SARS, rabies, anthrax, plague, and parasitic infections. It is worth noting that avian influenza and rabies have become more common in Vietnam in recent years. Rabies is one of the most common infectious diseases with the greatest death rates.

In 2023, the nation reported 82 rabies-related fatalities, up 12 instances from 2022. Rabies cases were recorded in 30 of the 63 provinces and cities, with the biggest numbers occurring in March, April, and August. The Northern area had the most rabies cases (37.8%), followed by the Southern and Central Highlands regions (24.4%), and the Central region (13.4%). 34% of all rabies cases included children under the age of 15.

In the first three months of 2024, the nation reported 27 rabies-related fatalities, up 16 cases over the same time in 2023. Notably, 16 of 63 provinces recorded rabies incidents in humans. The Central area had a considerable rise in rabies cases, with 9 cases.

Mr. Duc explained the causes for the rising rabies fatality rate, claiming that 100% of fatalities were caused by failure to get immunization, delayed vaccination, or faulty vaccination. The biggest factor is the population's carelessness, which accounts for 43.8%. Furthermore, some individuals utilized traditional medicine to treat rabies (16.4%), lacked knowledge of rabies (11%), lacked vaccination money (8.2%), and children who were bitten by animals did not notify their parents.

Furthermore, Vietnam faces the possibility of rising and recurrent epidemics of avian influenza in humans. According to Mr. Duc, the A/H5N1 flu outbreak was first detected in 2003, with Vietnam among the most badly hit nations in the globe. The pandemic occurred in many waves, the most severe of which occurred between 2004 and 2009, with 112 cases and 57 fatalities.

After 8 years of no instances, a human case of A/H5N1 influenza was reported in October 2022. In March 2024, Vietnam documented a fatality from A/H5N1 influenza in Khanh Hoa province.

Mr. Phan Quang Minh, Deputy Director of the Department of Animal Health (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), believes that the risk of avian influenza outbreaks spreading widely in the future is very high due to a variety of factors, particularly the ongoing illegal importation of poultry and poultry products into border provinces.

In terms of rabies, the number of fatalities from the disease has recently decreased in high-risk provinces; nevertheless, there is a growing tendency in low-risk areas, with new cases surfacing in certain provinces. The danger of rabies outbreaks and disease transmission in people in the foreseeable future remains quite high.

Widespread immunization coverage is needed

According to Phung Duc Tien, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam has one of the world's largest cattle populations. Currently, the nation has about 550 million poultry, 28 million pigs, and 12 million ruminants, which account for more than 26% of the agricultural sector's value.

Vietnam has a reasonably high dog population, with over 7.6 million canines raised in over 5 million homes, with free-roaming dog rearing remaining prevalent in many locations, bringing the possibility of serious societal implications if not handled swiftly.

The Deputy Minister went on to say: "With the large scale of livestock and poultry, coupled with unpredictable weather patterns and long border lines, especially the ongoing illegal importation of poultry and poultry products in border provinces... are factors that increase the risk of disease outbreaks."

The Deputy Minister concluded that, generally, Vietnam has successfully controlled avian influenza. Rabies has also been handled more effectively than in past years. However, since 2023, there has been a significant increase in disease outbreaks owing to carelessness and a lack of attention from local authorities; dog owners' understanding and responsibility remain restricted, with various faults such as not confining dogs and failing to vaccinate dogs against rabies.

To effectively control various animal diseases, particularly avian influenza and rabies, the Deputy Minister proposed that localities focus on organizing vaccination campaigns, raising awareness among dog owners, requiring them to muzzle their dogs when taking them out, and holding accountable groups, individuals, and local governments who fail to manage dog populations, fail to vaccinate, or vaccinate at low rates, resulting in dog bites and many deaths from rabies...

Nguyen Thi Lien Huong, Deputy Minister of Health, "To prevent, control, and manage diseases transmitted from animals to humans, efforts cannot rely solely on the healthcare or veterinary sector but require active, close, regular intersectoral cooperation, especially the involvement of local authorities."