# 1691
As was alluded to late last week, Vietnam again is reporting that they are treating additional suspected bird flu cases in their hospitals. How many this might be, and why they don't have confirmatory tests yet, isn't made clear.
This from VietNamNet Bridge. Hat tip flubergasted from the Wiki.
More H5N1 infections suspected
16:34' 20/02/2008 (GMT+7)
VietNamNet Bridge – The National Institute for Infectious and Tropical Diseases and the Central Pediatrics Hospital in Hanoi have received patients with bird flu related symptoms.
As well as two patients who have already died of the H5N1 virus this year, the National Institute for Infectious and Tropical Diseases is treating others with high temperatures and respiratory problems. Doctors think these patients have been infected with the H5N1 virus.
The Central Pediatrics Hospital has also admitted patients with the above symptoms, but clinical tests are negative to H5N1. These patients are under close watch.
According to Nguyen Huy Nga, Head of the Preventive Health Agency, bird flu in humans is still a high risk in Vietnam, partly because three fatal cases early this year were from provinces that haven’t reported bird flu cases in the past.
The second report, of more provinces being affected by outbreaks among poultry, was telegraphed yesterday by the report of dead chickens being found dumped in the rivers in the north.
A Hat Tip to Carol@SC on the Wiki for each of the next two articles.
3 more provinces in Vietnam report bird flu outbreaks
www.chinaview.cn
2008-02-20 12:22:06
HANOI, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Outbreaks of bird flu among fowls were detected from Feb. 16-18 Vietnam's northern provinces, raising the total number of its localities hit by the disease to seven, local newspaper New Hanoi reported Wednesday.
Over the past few days, bird flu has killed 90 fowls in Tuyen Quang province's Ham Yen district, nearly 1,800 in Nam Dinh province's Vu Ban district, and 640 in Hai Duong province's Thanh Mien district.
Currently seven localities were hit by bird flu: Thai Nguyen, Quang Ninh, Hai Duong, Nam Dinh and Tuyen Quang in the northern region, central Quang Binh province, and northern Long An province, according to the Department of Animal Health under the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The department is urging localities nationwide to strengthen anti-bird flu activities, and planning to import more bird flu vaccines from China to keep on vaccinating poultry, the newspaper said.
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.
And finally, with human cases increasing, and provinces once again seeing widespread outbreaks in poultry, fears are mounting that the `bad old days' of 2004 and 2005 could be on their way back, as evidenced by this warning.
Vietnam health officials fear bird flu could spread nationwide
Posted : Wed, 20 Feb 2008 05:13:03 GMT
Author : DPA
Hanoi - Vietnam is bracing for a nationwide avian influenza outbreak in March, after the virus has spread to seven provinces and killed three people, health officials said Wednesday. "If the anti-bird flu measures are not taken seriously, the human infection situation could become as bad as in 2005 and the outbreak in poultry could expand nationwide in March," said Deputy Agriculture Minister Bui Ba Bong.
Fresh bird flu outbreaks were detected this week in three provinces, including Hai Duong, Nam Dinh and Tuyen Quang, according to the National Animal Health Department.
The deadly H5N1 virus has infected poultry in a total of seven provinces this year, prompting local authorities to cull 17,000 ducks and chickens, said Hoang Van Nam, deputy head of the department.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development warned Tuesday that the bird flu situation had triggered a "red alert."
