Vietnam: HUMAN H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

[Treyfish]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

H5N1 Confirmed Cluster in Gia Loc Vietnam Causes Concern

Recombinomics Commentary 00:51
February 16, 2008

Appear also disease child 7 year-old, village Gia Loc, Hai Duon in hospital central child

The above translation on the hospitalization of the H5N1 confirmed seven year in Gia Loc, which is the location of the confirmed fatal infection of the 40F, generates a geographic cluster (see satellite map) covering a smaller area that Hai Duang province.

The timing of the two infections, coupled with the sharing of the dead poultry with a relative, increases the likelihood that there is a close relationship between the two victims, WHO update notwithstanding.

This close geographical, link between these two confirmed patients, coupled with the several hospitalized suspect patients, suggest this cluster may be significantly greater than two.

More information on any relationship between the two H5N1 confirmed patients and the hospitalized suspect patients, would be useful.

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/02160801/H5N1_Gia_Loc_Cluster.html

[Diane Morin]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

February 16, 2008 16:48 PM

Vietnam Reports New Bird Flu Patient


HANOI, Feb 16 (Bernama) -- Vietnam's Health Ministry said a seven-year-old child from northern Hai Duong province has been infected with H5N1, raising the total number of bird flu patients in Vietnam since 2003 to 105, said China's Xinhua news agency quoting a report in local newspaper "Young People" on Saturday.

The child is under treatment at the Central Pediatrics Hospital in Hanoi capital. Some suspected human cases of bird flu infections are also under treatment at the city-based Tropical Diseases Hospital. Their specimens are being tested for H5N1 by Vietnam's National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology.

To date, Vietnam has reported a total of 105 human cases of bird flu infections, including 50 fatalities, since the disease started to hit the country in December 2003.

Since Feb 13, two local people, a 27-year-old man named Hoang Van Doan from northern Ninh Binh province and a 40-year-old man named Do Van San from northern Hai Duong province, have died from bird flu, the newspaper said.

On Jan 18, a 32-year-old ethnic man named Tran Van Dong from northern Tuyen Quang province died from the disease.

Last December, after detecting no human cases of bird flu infections for nearly four months, the ministry confirmed that a four-year-old boy from northern Son La province died on Dec 16, 2007 from bird flu.

All the recently-detected bird flu patients have had close contacts with fowls, like slaughtering dead chickens for meal, before exhibiting bird flu symptoms. During the Lunar New Year Festival in early February, a large number of poultry were transported and slaughtered for meal across Vietnam.

The World Health Organization on Feb. 15 confirmed 103 cases of bird flu infections, including 49 fatalities in Vietnam. It has yet to confirm the two latest cases, including one fatality.

Vietnam currently has four localities having poultry being hit by bird flu: northern Thai Nguyen, central Quang Binh province, northern Quang Ninh province and southern Long An province, the Department of Animal Health under the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said Friday.

Bird flu outbreaks in Vietnam, starting in December 2003, have killed and led to the forced culling of dozens of millions of fowls in the country.

-- BERNAMA

http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news_world.php?id=314238

[Diane Morin]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

Vietnam confirms new human case of bird flu

A man from Ninh Binh Province tested positive with the deadly bird flu virus H5N1 strain Thursday, a health official said, warning that the death ratio in infected cases had increased recently.

Dr. Tran Thanh Duong from the Preventive Health Care Department told Thanh Nien, Hoang Van D., 27, was in critical condition on life support at Hanoi?s Bach Mai Hospital.

The man, who slaughtered sick chickens on January 31 and then ate them with eight family members, was admitted to a local hospital two days later with a fever.

He was transferred to Bach Mai Hospital where doctors said he was suffering from acute pneumonia and severe respiratory failure.

The Preventive Health Care Department said bird flu had killed three people in the last two months.

Nguyen Duc Hien, head of the National Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, said people who slaughtered infected birds were more likely to contract bird flu than people who ate them.

Passing bird flu from poultry to humans also depended on a person?s health, Hien added.

Dr. Duong warned people that the H5N1 virus stayed in bird dung for three months and on land for about one month.

It was essential to disinfect the bird flu-hit areas he said.

Veterinary agencies found 30 percent of waterbirds were infected with the H5N1 virus but did not have symptoms, he warned.

Forty nine people died of the virus in Vietnam since bird flu hit Asia in late 2003.

Experts worry the virus could change into a form that passes among humans.

So far, most human cases have been linked to contact with infected birds.

The World Health Organization said bird flu killed at least 226 people worldwide.

Most of the deaths were in Indonesia, followed by Vietnam.

Reported by Lien Chau

http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy/?catid=8&newsid=35745

[Diane Morin]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

Vietnam reports additional bird flu fatality

+ - 14:54, February 16, 2008

A man from Vietnam's northern Ninh Binh province died from bird flu Friday morning, raising the total number of bird flu fatalities in the country since December 2003 to 50, according to a report of Central Vietnam Television.

The 27-year-old man named Hoang Van Doan was admitted to the Bach Mai Hospital in the capital Hanoi on Feb. 12. He slaughtered chickens for meal on Feb. 5.

The Vietnamese Health Ministry on Feb. 13 confirmed a death of a 40-year-old man from northern Hai Duong province, who died on Feb. 13 after four days of treatment in the capital city, was infected with bird flu virus strain H5N1. The man named Do Van Sanslaughtered dead fighting chickens for meal before exhibiting bird flu symptoms on Feb. 2, said the TV report.

Late last month the ministry confirmed that a 32-year-old ethnic man named Tran Van Dong from northern Tuyen Quang province died from bird flu on Jan. 18. He slaughtered and ate dead fowls raised by his family for meal.

In late December 2007, after detecting no human cases of bird flu infections for nearly four months, the ministry confirmed that a four-year-old boy from northern Son La province died from bird flu on Dec. 16, 2007.

To date, Vietnam has reported a total of 104 human cases of bird flu infections, including 50 fatalities, since the disease started to hit the country in December 2003.

Vietnam currently has four localities having poultry being hit by bird flu: northern Thai Nguyen, central Quang Binh province, northern Quang Ninh province and southern Long An province, the Department of Animal Health under the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said on Thursday.

Bird flu killed 685 fowls in a flock in Quang Ninh's Mong Cai town from Feb. 12-13, and 150 ducks in Long An's Ben Luc district on Feb. 9, the department said, noting that their specimens were tested positive to H5N1.

Bird flu outbreaks in Vietnam, starting in December 2003, have killed and led to the forced culling of dozens of millions of fowls in the country.

Source:Xinhua

http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90782/90880/6355316.html

[HenryN]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left height=35>Vietnam confirms new human case of bird flu
</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>A man from Ninh Binh Province tested positive with the deadly bird flu virus H5N1 strain Thursday, a health official said, warning that the death ratio in infected cases had increased recently.</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>Dr. Tran Thanh Duong from the Preventive Health Care Department told Thanh Nien, Hoang Van D., 27, was in critical condition on life support at Hanoi?s Bach Mai Hospital.
The man, who slaughtered sick chickens on January 31 and then ate them with eight family members, was admitted to a local hospital two days later with a fever.
He was transferred to Bach Mai Hospital where doctors said he was suffering from acute pneumonia and severe respiratory failure.
The Preventive Health Care Department said bird flu had killed three people in the last two months.
Nguyen Duc Hien, head of the National Institute of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, said people who slaughtered infected birds were more likely to contract bird flu than people who ate them.
Passing bird flu from poultry to humans also depended on a person?s health, Hien added.
Dr. Duong warned people that the H5N1 virus stayed in bird dung for three months and on land for about one month.
It was essential to disinfect the bird flu-hit areas he said.
Veterinary agencies found 30 percent of waterbirds were infected with the H5N1 virus but did not have symptoms, he warned.
Forty nine people died of the virus in Vietnam since bird flu hit Asia in late 2003.
Experts worry the virus could change into a form that passes among humans.
So far, most human cases have been linked to contact with infected birds.
The World Health Organization said bird flu killed at least 226 people worldwide.
Most of the deaths were in Indonesia, followed by Vietnam.
Reported by Lien Chau

http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy...8&newsid=35745
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[Treyfish]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

<TABLE style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" borderColor=#111111 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="98%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=capnhat vAlign=center height=18>Last updated: 16:41 - February 16, 2008
</TD></TR><TR><TD class=capnhat bgColor=#800000></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" borderColor=#111111 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="98%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=titlonvua>Dead chickens must not be eaten, warns Preventive Medicine Department</TD></TR><TR><TD class=titlonvua></TD></TR><TR><TD>

Nhan Dan - The Preventive Medicine Department on February 15 gave a warning that dead chicken must not be eaten after another death case of bird flu.
Hoang Van Doan, 27 years old from Ninh Binh province, died of bird flu on February 14, announced Dr Nguyen Huy Nga, head of the department. This was the fourth bird flu death cases have been reported since early this year.
The four dead people were hospitalised too late and could not be treated. Based on the fact, the Preventive Medicine Department advised people improve their prevention of the disease by reporting to local veterinary services when their poultry showed signs of suffering from illness and not eating death chickens, and going to medical centres for check-ups and treatment when suffering from fever.
The Preventive Medicine Department on February 15 sent an urgent letter to the Departments of Public Health in provinces and cities to urge measures to prevent and control a possible spread of bird flu.
Measures have been asked to be taken to control and supervise the transport and slaughtering of poultry.
In addition, medicines and chemicals should be prepared to cope with the disease once it outbreaks. http://www.nhandan.com.vn/english/li...08/life_de.htm

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[Treyfish]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=numberdate vAlign=top align=left bgColor=#3a84fd height=16>Saturday , Feb 16, 2008, Posted at: 13:27(GMT+7)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thanh vAlign=top align=left>Northern Viet Nam: Another Dead from Bird Flu</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tintop_text vAlign=top align=left>Hoang Van Doan, a patient diagnosed with H5N1-type A, died on Wednesday night after receiving two days treatment at Bach Mai Hospital in Ha Noi, reported Dr. Nguyen Huy Nga, Director of the Department of Preventive Health.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=1 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=Image>Dr. Nga recommends local people to carefully take note of any sick birds.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Ninh Binh Health Department initiated the disinfection and sterilization of the places Mr. Doan has been; including his home and at the hospital.
Blood samples were also taken from every person who had eaten and come in contact with the same chicken as the victim.

Dr. Nga cautioned that people need to enhance their awareness and understanding of the disease as most patients were hospitalized too late.

A recommendation was that local people should carefully monitor poultry livestock and take note of any sick birds. In the event that sick birds are identified, local offices of the Animal Health Department should be informed immediately and no ill bird is to be consumed, noted Dr. Nga.

In addition, anyone who displays any symptoms of infection, like a fever and dyspnea must get to the hospital promptly for treatment, added Dr. Nga.

At present, the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development also confirmed that bird flu has re-emerged in the Coastal North-eastern province of Quang Ninh and the southern province of Long An.

According to a recent report from the National Animal Health Department in Quang Ninh Province, bird flu caused a flock of 685 poultries in the border town of Mong Cai and another 170 poultries belonging to a family in the Nhue Hamlet of Kim Son Commune to die around the same time.
In addition, 150 ducks belonging to a family in Hamlet 3, Phuoc Loi Commune, Ben Luc District of Long An Province have also died recently from the disease.

Currently, Thai Nguyen, Quang Binh, Quang Ninh and Long An Provinces in Viet Nam have witness the recurrence of the bird flu epidemic.

Just this week, a 40-year-old man in Hai Duong province, also in the north, died from the same H5N1 type-A. He was thus the 49th person to die of the virus in Viet Nam since bird flu began raging across Asia in late 2003. http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Health/2008/2/61512/


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http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Health/2008/2/61512/

[HenryN]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

<TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=in_newstitle vAlign=top align=left>R?t hại, n?ng d?n nu?i g? lo lắng</TD></TR><TR><TD class=in_timepost vAlign=top align=left bgColor=#ffffff height=16>Chủ nhật, 17/02/2008, 02:17 (GMT+7)</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tintop_text vAlign=top align=left>Đợt r?t d?i kỳ v? trở th?nh kỷ lục trong lịch sử sắp kết th?c. Thế nhưng, n? đ? l?m cho h?ng ng?n chủ hộ chăn nu?i phải x?t đau, khốn đốn. Kh?ng chỉ h?ng ng?n con tr?u, b? chết. H?ng vạn gia cầm cũng chết. Kh?ng chỉ ở tận L?o Cai, H? Giang, Lạng Sơn, Y?n B?i? m? ngay cả ở quanh H? Nội, nhiều chủ trại g? cũng rơi nước mắt?

Nhễ nhại lo sưởi cho g?

Hơn 1 th?ng qua, c?i r?t hại với nhiệt độ nhiều đ?m xuống tới 7 - 80C đ? l?m h?ng trăm hộ gia đ?nh ở l?ng Tiền Lệ, x? Tiền Y?n (Ho?i Đức - H? T?y) mất ăn mất ngủ. Theo Ph?ng NN-PTNT huyện Ho?i Đức, Tiền Lệ l? l?ng nu?i g? đẻ với số lượng nhiều nhất ở khu ph?a T?y H? Nội. Hiện tại, cả l?ng đang c? hơn 2 vạn con g? đẻ. Chưa kể h?ng chục vạn con g? thịt v? g? ?hậu bị? (lực lượng kế tiếp g? đẻ bị thải loại). Đi c?ng với nu?i g? đẻ l? hoạt động ấp nở trứng gia cầm, cung cấp g? con cho n?ng d?n với hơn chục l? lớn, nhỏ. Thời tiết thuận lợi, c?c l? ấp trứng đ? phải khổ nhọc v? g?. Đến khi r?t hại, họ c?n chảy cả nước mắt, đổ mồ h?i khi g? bị chết.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=1 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=Image>Kiều Duy Thắng, 36 tuổi, người vừa ?vỡ nợ? v? cả trại g? 1.000 con lăn ra chết. Nửa đ?m dậy nhặt g? chết kh?ng kịp, mất trắng 40 triệu đồng. Ảnh: VĂN PH?C
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

PV B?o SGGP đ? đến tận những l? chuy?n ấp nở trứng gia cầm ở Tiền Lệ để xem n?ng d?n sưởi ấm, cứu g?. Trong căn nh? ngập c?c l?n đựng trứng gia cầm, rơm rạ nằm ven đường l?ng, anh Nguyễn Khắc Hợi, 25 tuổi, tr?m khẩu trang, đội mũ k?n m?t, chỉ c?n hở ra đ?i mắt, thi thoảng lại ho s? sụ v? nhiều đ?m thức canh g? trong gi? lạnh, đang lặng lẽ xếp những con g? mới nở (1 ng?y tuổi), vừa được lấy ra từ 2 cỗ m?y ấp to l? l?, r?o vo vo ở g?c nh?, v?o từng chiếc l?n nhựa.
?Trời r?t qu?. N?ng d?n nu?i g? ch?ng em v? mồ h?i v? lo g? chết cả th?ng nay? - Hợi n?i. Ban ng?y, nhiệt độ ấm l?n một ch?t, nhưng ban đ?m th? gi? lạnh vẫn ?a về. Hợi bảo: ?Đ?m nằm kh?ng lo cho m?nh m? lại chỉ lo cho g? bị r?t. G? con mới nở, gặp r?t hại, kh?ng cứu sưởi kịp l? lăn ra chết như ổi rụng?.

Hợi l? con trai cả của ?ng Nguyễn Khắc Tước, 55 tuổi - người chăn nu?i quy m? lớn nhất cả huyện Ho?i Đức. L?c n?o trong nh? ?ng cũng c? 100 heo n?i, 1.000 g? đẻ v? 2.000 g? ?hậu bị?. Mỗi th?ng, l? của ?ng xuất ra 2 vạn g? con, ng?y n?o cũng c? một mẻ. Chỉ v?o đống l?n nhựa đang chen ch?c g? con, Hợi cho biết: ?Mỗi c?i l?n n?y đựng tới 150 con g?. M?a h? th? chỉ đựng 100 - 120 con/l?n. Nhưng đến m?a đ?ng phải l?n g? v?o, l?t th?m rơm rạ v? phải đặt chồng kh?t c?c l?n cho k?n gi? th? g? mới kh?ng bị chết?. Mặc d? vậy, lượng g? bị chết cũng kh?ng tr?nh khỏi. Trong l?n, nhiều x?c g? đang nằm lăn l?c.

Anh Nguyễn Khắc Đạo, 46 tuổi, ch?u ?ng Tước, đưa t?i trở ra b?n nước, rồi kể: ?Gian nan nhất l? l?c g? con vừa nở ra, đem về nh? nu?i cho đến l?c được 1 th?ng tuổi. Cả l?ng t?i c? đến gần 200 hộ nu?i g? nhỏ. Trời r?t hại, nh? n?o cũng phải thức trắng đ?m để ??m?, sưởi cho g??. ?ng Nguyễn Đ?nh Phương, 71 tuổi, ở đội 2 l?ng Tiền Lệ bảo: ?Cả th?ng nay, ch?ng t?i mất ngủ v? g??. Theo ?ng, ??m? tức l? d?ng c?t, bạt nylon qu?y g? lại. Mỗi ?m khoảng 150 - 200 con. Sau đ?, d?ng loại b?ng đ?n 200W để đốt sưởi suốt ng?y đ?m. Mỗi ??m? cần khoảng 4 b?ng. Trời c?ng r?t, c?ng phải tăng cường th?m b?ng.

Nửa đ?m ?kh?c? g?

Thế nhưng, vẫn c? rất nhiều chủ hộ đẫm nước mắt v? g? chết r?t. Phần lớn rơi v?o những chủ trang trại nu?i g? ở ngo?i c?nh đồng ven s?ng Đ?y.

Anh Kiều Duy Thắng, 36 tuổi, ở l?ng Tiền Lệ, đ? mời PV B?o SGGP ra tận trang trại của m?nh để xem g? chết. Trong khu l?n trại rộng khoảng 400m?, mặc d? tứ bề đều được phủ k?n bạt nylon, c?t ?p ngăn gi? lạnh nhưng ở c?c g?c chuồng, x?c g? chết vẫn nhan nhản. Cầm mấy x?c g? mềm nhẽo trong tay, anh Thắng rầu rầu n?i: ?Hơn 1.000 con g? của t?i đ? bị chết từ trước Tết Nguy?n đ?n đến b?y giờ. C? những đ?m, t?i dậy để kiểm tra g?, thấy g? chết như ngả rạ, nhặt l?n kh?ng kịp?. Hiện tại, trong l?n trại của anh chỉ c?n lại khoảng 700 con g? đẻ nữa. ?Trung t?m Dự b?o kh? tượng - thủy văn Trung ương n?i rằng phải 4 - 5 h?m nữa miền Bắc mới chấm dứt r?t. C? thể nhiều người coi gi? r?t l? chuyện nhỏ nhưng ch?ng t?i lo lắng từng ng?y một?.

Nhiều người d?n trong l?ng Tiền Lệ cho rằng, nu?i g? giữa đồng trong tiết r?t hại kh? m? ?ăn? được. Kể cả bốn bề qu?y c?t phủ bạt th? g? vẫn lăn ra chết. Anh Thắng lo mấy trăm con g? c?n lại sẽ chết nốt n?n đ? ?chạy? vội về khu chuồng đặt giữa l?ng để tr?nh r?t. ?T?i nu?i g? trang trại đ? được 8 năm rồi. Nhưng t?i chưa thấy bao giờ lại đau đớn như năm nay? - anh Thắng n?i. Theo anh Thắng, tổng số g? chết do đợt r?t hại đ? l?m anh mất trắng 40 triệu đồng. Đ? l? số tiền m? anh phải vay mượn ở trong l?ng. Kh?ng chỉ ri?ng anh, đến thời điểm n?y cả l?ng Tiền Lệ đ? c? hơn 2 vạn con g? thịt, g? đẻ v? g? ?hậu bị? lăn ra chết v? r?t, dịch.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

http://www.sggp.org.vn/xahoi/2008/2/143257/

[HenryN]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

R?t harm , farmer breed chicken worry
Sunday , 17 / 02 / 2008 , 02:17 ( GMT + 7 )
Series r?t long flag and become record in history group end . such but , he caused row ng?n employer graze help breed must x?t painful , sleepy . row not only ng?n buffalo , b? die . row vạn poultry also die . not only in finish Laos Cai , river ha , Lang Son , Y?n B?i? which immediately all in surround Hanoi , many employer camp chicken also fall mắt? country

[mixin]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

Veterinary agencies found 30 percent of waterbirds were infected with the H5N1 virus but did not have symptoms, he warned.

Do they mean that 30% of the ones they tested? How would they know it was 30% of *all* water birds? I'd be curious to know how many they actually tested.

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

I'd be interested to know about the 70% that were NOT infected.

If 30% of waterbirds from the same "pond" tested positive, while 70% were not infected; that is a different situation than a wide majority of waterbirds in 30% of the ponds being infected, while 70% of the ponds showed no infection.

One situation would show significant ability to resist, while the other situation would show the opposite.

.

[HenryN]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

The data indicates that of the birds that were positive, 30% were asymptomatic. I would assume the survey convered a wide area.

[HenryN]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

Bird flu claims third victim this year
HA NOI ? Hoang Van Doan, 27, became Viet Nam?s third victim of the deadly H5N1 virus this year when he died in Ha Noi?s Bach Mai Hospital yesterday.
The young man from Ninh Binh Province, about 90km south of Ha Noi, was admitted to the hospital last Tuesday suffering blood poisoning and pneumonia.
He reportedly slaughtered and ate chicken during Tet.
Several patients in Ha Noi?s Hospital of Clinical Medicine and Tropical Diseases are undergoing tests for the virus and people in both Ninh Binh and Hai Duong provinces ? the source of this year?s infections ? are being vaccinated.

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/s...um=01SOC160208

[Treyfish]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=numberdate vAlign=top align=left bgColor=#3a84fd height=16>Sunday , Feb 17, 2008, Posted at: 15:26(GMT+7)</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=thanh vAlign=top align=left>Bird Flu Spreads to More Regions</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tintop_text vAlign=top align=left>Bird flu has reappeared in the three northern provinces of Hai Duong, Ninh Binh and Tuyen Quang and have continued to spread to another northern province of Quang Ninh and the southern province of Long An, stated a recent official health report.

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=1 align=right border=0><TBODY><TR><TD> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=Image>A farmer sprays vaccine on his poultries' cage</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Nguyen Huy Nga, Director of the National Department of Preventive Health (NDPH) blamed the four recent deaths of H5N1 type A, including two victims from Hai Duong Province, one from Ninh Binh Province and the other from Tuyen Quang Province, on a lack awareness and understanding of the disease.

The H5N1 treatments require the affected patients to be treated within 48 hours of being infected, however, these patients were hospitalized too late, commented Mr. Nga.
However, the patients infected early last week were mostly afraid to go to the hospital during the first days of the year as they believed it would be bad luck for the whole year, added Mr. Nga

Despite the officials warning the people about H5N1, some people still cooked chickens that had been sick and died for consumption because they thought the chickens died from a normal flu, said Mr. Nga.

Mr. Nga also noted that the recent deaths related to H5N1 type A occurred in areas that had not been publicly listed as high risk areas to come into contact with H5N1.

Mr Duong, a member of NDPH, was very anxious that some strains of the H5N1 virus can possibly transfer from the infected birds and be present in the air and cause infection in humans who plucked and cooked the birds.

At present, the Northern provinces have seen their coldest days of the year, and as a result, many migrations started their trip to warmer areas then transferred the infected virus from their current places to another area, added Mr. Duong.

However, Mr. Duong affirmed there would be enough anti-H5N1 medicines, called Tamiflu for the whole nation. On Wednesday, the NDPH directed local health officials to check their stores of Tamiflu in an attempt to ensure sufficient medicine for every area, Mr. Duong said.

In Long An province, bird flu caused a flock of seven hundred 36-day-old ducks in Dang Thanh Vu in Ben Luc District to die on the 9th February.

Quang Ninh saw the same fate. A flock of 700 poultries of Pham Van Tuan in Mong Cai Town and a flock of 170 poultries in Dong Chieu District, died from the bird flu around the same time. Local authorities incinerated the dead birds and disinfected areas that may have been contaminated.

Recently, the World Health Organization has issued warnings that the present H5N1 vaccine would not be effective in the future as the three main H5N1 viruses have genetically mutated to another strains which will not be affected by the current vaccine.
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http://www.saigon-gpdaily.com.vn/Health/2008/2/61527/

[Treyfish]

Re: Vietnam: Human H5N1 Cases Feb 13+

<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD class=news_date vAlign=top align=left height=20>22:46' 17/02/2008 (GMT+7) </TD></TR><TR><TD class=text vAlign=top align=left><TABLE class="image center" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width=200 align=right fck_template="imagecontener"><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR><TR><TD class=image_desc align=middle></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Localities urged to take bird flu prevention measures
Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Cao Duc Phat, who is Head of the National Committee for Avian Influenza Prevention and Control, has asked provinces, cities nationwide and relevant agencies to take urgent measures to control bird flu.

In the face of bird flu reoccurrence in many localities, Minister Phat instructed bird flu-hit localities to urgently stamp out the epidemic and closely control the transport of poultry. He also recommended drastic measures to prevent the epidemic from spreading.

?Localities should raise public awareness of the risk of bird flu reoccurrence and warn the people to use poultry products with clear origin,? he stressed.

According to the Veterinary Department, four provinces that have reported bird flu outbreaks include northern Thai Nguyen and Quang Ninh, central Quang Binh and southern Long An.

Cold weather and the increase of illegal poultry transport and trafficking are considered the main reasons for the reoccurrence of the epidemic.
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http://english.vietnamnet.vn/social/2008/02/769006/