The Department of Science and Technology is assigned to coordinate with institutes, schools, research centers and high-tech enterprises to order, supervise and evaluate research topics related to new recombinant virus strains, especially genotypes I+II. The city requires that research results must be linked to practice and have high applicability to improve the effectiveness of preventing and controlling African swine fever.
The Department of Agriculture and Environment is assigned the role of presiding over and coordinating with departments, branches, units and local authorities to organize the synchronous implementation of epidemic prevention and control work. In which, this agency must closely monitor the epidemic situation, promptly advise the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee to handle arising situations; at the same time, strengthen inspection, urging and guiding implementation at the grassroots level.
The city requests to tighten disease surveillance to the grassroots level, especially in high-risk areas such as border areas, livestock facilities, slaughterhouses, transfer points and wholesale markets. Sampling, testing, analysis and epidemiological assessment must be carried out regularly to warn early and prevent epidemics from spreading widely.
At the same time, farmers are required to strictly implement biosafety, hygiene, barn disinfection, waste treatment, leftover food and animal carcasses in accordance with regulations. The city also encourages the construction and maintenance of disease-free zones and facilities.
Quarantine and control of animal and animal product transportation will also be strengthened, especially slaughtering control and veterinary hygiene for vehicles entering and leaving the city.
The Department of Food Safety is assigned to coordinate in inspecting and strictly handling cases of trading in animal products of unknown origin, not ensuring food safety, and at the same time guiding business establishments to comply with current regulations.
The Department of Industry and Trade directs the market management force to strengthen inspection of goods circulation, promptly detect and handle violations related to animals and animal products that do not meet veterinary hygiene conditions. The market management board and related units must also strictly control business activities at trading points.
Ho Chi Minh City Police are assigned to coordinate with relevant departments and agencies to fight and strictly handle acts of illegal trading and transportation of animals, illegal slaughtering, concealing epidemics or throwing animal carcasses into the environment.
For the grassroots level, the People's Committees of wards, communes, and special zones must be directly responsible for epidemic prevention and control in the area. The city requests to proactively develop response plans, mobilize resources to thoroughly handle outbreaks right from the time they arise, and not let them spread.
Localities must also strengthen supervision to each livestock facility, promptly detect, report and handle diseased animals, and organize destruction, disinfection, and zoning of outbreaks in accordance with regulations.
Notably, the Chairman of the Commune-level People's Committee will be responsible to the Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee if a widespread epidemic occurs due to irresponsibility in direction and administration. The results of epidemic prevention and control will also be linked to the annual evaluation and classification of local leaders.
