Travelers should be cautious about drinking non-bottled water and about using ice cubes in drinks. Travelers may wish to drink only bottled or canned beverages, or beverages that have been boiled (such as hot tea and coffee).
Since December of 2007, Hanoi and provinces in northern Vietnam have seen an episodic resurgence of severe acute diarrhea known to be cholera. For more information on cholera, please visit CDC's web site at http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/cholera_gi.html .
Travelers to Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries affected by avian influenza are cautioned to avoid poultry farms, contact with animals in live food markets, and any surfaces that appear to be contaminated with feces from poultry or other animals. Read more information about Avian Flu .
Tuberculosis is a serious health concern in Vietnam. For further information, please consult the CDC's Travel Notice on TB and other CDC resources at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/yellowBookCh4-TB.aspx and http://www.cdc.gov/tb/default.htm .
Information on vaccinations (such as those for hepatitis, rabies, and Japanese encephalitis) and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747) or via the CDC's web site at http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/default.aspx . For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad, consult the World Health Organization's (WHO) web site at http://www.who.int/en . Further health information for travelers is available at http://www.who.int/ith/en ."
"There have been occasional reports of incidents in which an unknown substance was used to taint drinks, leaving the victim susceptible to further criminal acts. Travelers are advised to avoid leaving drinks or food unattended and to avoid going to unfamiliar venues alone. Travelers should also avoid purchasing liquor from street vendors, as the quality of best id scanner for bars the contents cannot be assured."
Source and further information:
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1060.html
2) "Vietnamese consumers have been hit by a string of bad news, with dangerous pesticides found on fruit and vegetables, cancer-causing chemicals in soy sauce and formaldehyde in the national dish, pho noodle soup.
"What can I buy now?" the 55-year-old housewife said, scanning the farm produce, tofu and meats at Hanoi's bustling Xanh market. "All the food looks fresh and good, but I can't be sure it's safe for my family."
Consumers in Vietnam, a country of 84 million people, have long been proud of their delicious and healthy cuisine, typically high in greens and low in fat and prepared with a wide variety of market-fresh ingredients.
Early each morning, thousands of farmers travel by truck, moped or bicycle to deliver fresh vegetables, poultry products and meat from outlying farms to the inner city areas of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
But as Vietnam is turning from a mainly agrarian country, where three quarters of people are farmers, into a more industrialised and market-driven economy, food scares blamed on intense agrochemical use have risen sharply.
A recent survey by the state-run Plant Protection Department found pesticides on 30 to 60 percent of the vegetables tested in Hanoi markets, including substances that are banned in Vietnam and other countries."
Source and further information:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iiMrrBvLTLGX3P0uXmSqeT1Zjayw
3) Further information:
- "Safe Eating while Traveling in Vietnam":
http://vietworldkitchen.typepad.com/blog/2007/11/safe-eating-whi.html
- "Lack of food standards leaves Vietnam with a bad taste":
http://www.atimes.com/se-asia/BA29Ae01.html
- "Unsafe Food in Vietnam":
http://www.saigonnezumi.com/2007/06/17/unsafe-food-in-vietnam/
- "Goat p***s bacteria adds to food safety scare":
http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy/?catid=8&newsid=50775
- "ADB Provides US$96.5 Million For Vietnam Food Safety":
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsworld.php?id=422126
