Vietnam: Difficult to distinguish influenza A/H5N1 and influenza A/H1N1

January 12, 2009 [translates bad..means 12/1/2009]

Excerpt:

Due to the difficulty to distinguish between patients of these two influenza A, so Dr. Nguyen Huy Nga, Director of Department of Preventive Health and Environment (Ministry of Health), said, the medical establishments and establishments that treatment and the patient must clearly understand the patient's history.

Patients if exposed to eating meat and poultry at risk (infected birds, dead) before the disease or is considered the most basic elements to distinguish influenza A/H1N1 and H5N1 influenza A for patients / H5N1 mainly transmitted from infected poultry, influenza A/H1N1 spread from person to person.

Dr. Nguyen Huy Nga adds, Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology has studied and showed that influenza A/H5N1 virus in Vietnam does not have the gene variation.