Cooperations

World Health Oganization (WHO)

Any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans and vice-versa is classified as a zoonosis according to the PAHO publication "Zoonoses and communicable diseases common to man and animals". Over 200 zoonoses have been described and they have been known for many centuries. They are caused by all types of agents: bacteria, parasites, fungi, viruses and unconventional agents. In this cooperation, we focus on avian influenza virus in Vietnam.

FAO works regionally and nationally to combat avian influenza in close collaboration with governments, national and international partners, bringing together technical expertise in socioeconomics, disease control, farming systems, agricultural and pro-poor policy, communications and extension. FAO acknowledges the Government of Viet Nam’s strong commitment to fight HPAI and other emerging infectious diseases such as foot and mouth disease and classical swine fever and wishes to express its gratitude for the continued support and kind cooperation.

Livestock animals are highly important in the agriculturally based economic and social structures of Vietnam. Outbreaks of FMD have a serious impact on food security, rural income generation and the national economy by impairing livestock. Thus, IAEA has been supported for NIVR in mission of controling FMD. Experts visited laboratory and worked with staff to improve skill and techniques. Some staffs were sent to aboad for traning course. Equipments were also provided by IAEA.

Control of infectious diseases is an important issue for all of countries. However, it is difficult task because of many reasons, especially drug-resistant of bacteria or antigenic variation of pathogens. Finding out a good and safe medicine to treat the pathogens and to prevent diseases is necessary  and important for husbandry and public health. Recently, new materials, which are safe and originated from natural sources, have been searched to develop a good material for controlling the diseases. In this project, I would like to search and obtain highly functional natural substances to prevent infectious disease and/or pathogens.

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza caused by H5N1 virus has become endemic in some developing countries and millions of birds have been culled with large economical and sociological impacts. Since the end of the first vaccination campaign in Vietnam (Nov-Dec 2005) no new outbreaks in domestic poultry have been reported. However, the virus is still circulating as confirmed by routine surveillance programs. Vaccination is a useful tool to be used to eradicate the disease, but the cost-benefit impact of different strategy needs first to be addressed. Cost and outcome of a vaccination campaign depend on the vaccination coverage rate and on the number of doses administered. The choice of a vaccination strategy depends on the epidemiologic context and is function of the available vaccine type (inactivated or vectored), the targeted species (chicken, ducks, geese…) and the targeted poultry production sector (breeders, layers, broilers). Here a conceptual framework on the cost-benefit evaluation of various vaccination strategies is presented. This preliminary stochastic model integrates all the variables linked to a vaccination campaign as described above and is based on preliminary data obtained from international databases and field missions carried out in Vietnam. Descriptive and participative epidemiology will be used to collect data at farm and provinces levels in order to further parameter and validate this model. An extrapolation of this model at a national level could be used by decision makers to evaluate and compare different vaccination strategies based on their cost-benefit ratio.

Livestock is important in providing protein and increasing income for farmers. However, climate and environment in Vietnam, characterized by high temperature and humidity, are favorable for the multiplication of disease carrier like molder, internal and external parasites, against which urgent measures should be taken. National Institute of Veterinary Research (NIVR) plays a core role in animal health in Vietnam. Nevertheless, its technical ability and equipment are not sufficient to carry out the assigned tasks. Thus, the project was formulized to strengthen capacity of NIVR, contributing the improving animal health in Viet Nam.

African swine fever (ASF) in EU member states is currently confined to Italy (Sardinia) it was recently introduced to Caucasian regions and it is highly prevalent in sub-Saharan African countries. In both the EC and Africa changes in the epidemiology of the disease have recently been observed, related to newly emerging strains of African swine fever virus (ASFV), emphasising the serious threat this disease represents to the growing pig farming sector in Africa and Europe. This project will provide new tools and strategies for the control of ASF in Africa and reduce the risk of importation and spread of the disease in EU member states. The project will evaluate the current ASF epidemiology in Africa, develop and validate a generic risk assessment for the introduction of ASF into EU countries and subsequent control strategies. The project will also develop and validate new antibody and nucleic acid-based diagnostic tools for ASF, including front line and pen-side tests, which will be supplied to diagnostic facilities in Africa and the Animal Health Laboratories in the EU for the early detection of potential ASFV incursions, in particular by the newly emerging strains. Additionally the project will study the interactions of ASFV and host genes and the porcine inmmune mechanisms relevant for survival, following experimental in vitro and in vivo infections, aiming at obtaining attenuated recombinant virus strains that may be potential future candidates for a vaccine. The new strategies and the tools developed within this project will be transferred to African partners, and other interested countries, and established in these countries through local training/workshops and technology transfer.    

CDC recognizes the mutual fundamental benefits to be gained through research cooperation and in building on the success of partnerships between CDC, the MARD Department of Animal Health, the DAH National Centre for Veterinary Diagnostics (NCVD), the MARD National Institute of Veterinary Research (NIVR), and the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE) of the Vietnam Ministry of Health (MOH), in the fields of prevention and control of influenza and other zoonotic diseases. It is therefore desirable that the two agencies further develop this research cooperation to achieve improved health promotion and disease prevention for animals and people of the two countries

Hong Kong                 University