NEWS AC Dog butchers shut down Hanoi

[Guest guest]

Agence France-Presse Monday May 18, 2009 12:10 pm ET

 

Vietnam dog slaughterhouses shut on health fears

 

HANOI - Authorities in the Vietnamese capital Hanoi have temporarily

closed at least a dozen dog slaughterhouses on fears their unclean

conditions may help spread cholera bacteria to people, an official

said Monday.

 

Dog meat is a popular dish in Vietnam.

 

It was unclear when the slaughterhouses in Hanoi's suburban Duong Noi

would be allowed to resume operations, local official Nguyen Thi Thuc

told AFP, without providing more details.

 

The health ministry said on its website that cholera bacteria had

been found in the slaughterhouses.

 

Cholera is spread through unsafe food.

 

Eight northern cities and provinces are presently hit by outbreaks of

acute diarrhoea, including hundreds of cases of suspected cholera,

officials and press reports said.

 

Communist Vietnam has a longstanding problem with food safety and hygiene.

 

In March and April last year the country battled cholera outbreaks

which hit Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and 16 other provinces. More than

100 people were infected but no fatalities were reported.

 

Cholera is an acute intestinal infection transmitted through water or

food contaminated with the bacteria vibrio cholera. It causes

diarrhoea and dehydration and can lead to kidney failure and death if

untreated.

 

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