Coordinated by the National Centre for Animal Health, the stakeholders discussed the preparedness and control strategies to bar the entry of H7N9 virus into the country. Getting equipped with diagnostic kits to rapidly diagnose the disease in the field is one of the control strategies the stakeholders have come up with.
The outbreak of H7N9 virus was reported in China in March. The new virus was identified in human as well as poultry population. But the virus has not been reported in Bhutan yet. However, the National Center for Animal Health and other relevant stakeholders met to sort out strategies to bar the entry of the H7N9 virus into the country.
The Programme Director of the National Centre for Animal Health, Dr. Kunzang Dukpa, said the H7N9 virus does not produce clinical disease in the poultry because of which is difficult to diagnose the disease.
“That is why we need to equip ourselves with diagnostic kits to rapidly diagnose the disease at the field level. So that is why we are now trying to take stock of the capacity we have in terms of preparedness and in terms of diagnostic capacity and in terms of new strategies to fully prepare for any incursion of this news virus.”
The stakeholders also reviewed the National influenza pandemic plan.
