ProMED: AVIAN INFLUENZA, HUMAN (30): VIET NAM

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A ProMED-mail post
<http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
<http://www.isid.org>

Date: Sat 7 Feb 2009
Source: Reuters UK [edited]
<http://uk.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUKHAN433627._CH_.2420>


Viet Nam has new human bird flu case
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A 23-year-old man has tested positive for the deadly H5N1 virus in
northern Viet Nam, a state-run newspaper reported on Saturday [7 Feb
2009]. The online Lao Dong newspaper (<http://www.laodong.com.vn>)
quoted health officials as saying the man from Dam Ha district in the
northern province of Quang Ninh, about 150 km (93 miles) from Hanoi
had fallen ill and tests showed he carried the bird flu virus. The
report quoted doctors as saying the man had high fever and severe
respiratory problem.

Prior to this case, Viet Nam has this year confirmed one case of
human infection in the northern province of Thanh Hoa, involving an
8-year-old girl who fell sick after eating duck and chicken raised on
her family's farm. She has recovered.

On Saturday, the agriculture ministry said bird flu had infected
poultry in 3 provinces in the country, Ca Mau and Soc Trang in the
south and Nghe An in the central region.

The H5N1 flu remains largely a virus among birds, but experts fear it
could mutate into a form that is easily transmitted by humans and
spark a pandemic that could kill millions worldwide.

[Byline: Nguyen Nhat Lam and Sugita Katyal]

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Communicated by
ProMED-mail Rapporteur Mary Marshall

[This is the 2nd case of avian A/H5N1 influenza virus infection
recorded in Viet Nam in 2009, bringing the total number of cases
since 2003 to 108 (with 52 fatalities). The present condition of the
patient and the circumstances of his exposure to avian influenza
virus infection are not stated. Outbreaks of avian influenza in
poultry have not been reported in Quang Ninh province so far. The
preceding case was an 8-year-old girl in Thanh Hoa province who
survived. Her 13-year-old sister was a suspected case of avian
influenza virus infection, but this has not been confirmed as she
died subsequently and apparently no diagnostic materials are available.

A map of the provinces of Viet Nam can be accessed at:
<http://www.angelfire.com/co/hongnam/vnmap.html>. Quang Ninh is a
coastal province located in the the northern area. The
HealthMap/ProMED-mail interactive map of Viet Nam showing the
northern, central and southern areas is available at:
<http://healthmap.org/promed/en?v=14.9,108.5,5>. - Mod.CP]