Pact signed to control spread of H5N1
Cambodian and Vietnamese government officials have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to inspect all animal cargo that crosses their shared border, according to a local government official.
The agreement, signed by the agriculture ministries of Cambodia and Vietnam on December 29, stipulates the construction of 11 inspection facilities along the border to separate the flow of animal cargo and humans, who primarily contract bird flu through contact with nasal secretions, saliva or faeces from an infected bird.
Kao Phal, director of the Animal Health and Production Department, said the ministry also requested training in veterinary expertise and the laboratory research required to detect the deadly virus.”The agreement will help curb the disease from spreading from animal to animal and from animals to people,” Phal said.
Sok Sina, an independent economist, said the agreement would improve livelihoods on both sides of the border by cutting down on the virus’s threat to humans and the animals they rely on for food and business. Such enhanced regulations will “boost Cambodian entrepreneurialism in produce”, he added.
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