January 13, 2004

 

 

WHO Links Vietnamese Deaths To Bird Flu

 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) believes the deaths of three Vietnamese children is associated with the current bird flu outbreak in the country.

 

The WHO has been investigating the deaths of a number of people from a form of influenza in Hanoi.

 

"The current evidence does suggest a link between the chicken influenza and at least three of these cases," the WHO's Peter Horby said in Hanoi.

 

It comes as Japan has also confirmed a bird flu outbreak among its chickens.

 

It is the latest incident of the disease in Asia, which sparked panic when six people apparently died from the illness after contracting it from chickens in Hong Kong in 1997 and 1998.

 

Vietnam confirmed last week that it had an outbreak of the disease among chickens in the south of the country and has culled hundreds of thousands of birds to try and prevent the spread of the illness.

 

The cull was being carried out with particular urgency because of the Lunar New Year, or Tet, holiday at the end of the month, when chicken is a popular dish.

 

But it now appears that the deaths in Hanoi could have been linked.

 

"At least three of the cases were due to... a particular strain of influenza called H5N1, which is the same type of influenza which has been reported as causing the deaths in chickens," Mr Horby said.

 

H5N1 is the same strain that caused the deaths in Hong Kong five years ago.

 

Mr Horby said that any infected humans would have caught the illness from close physical contact with sick birds rather than eating them.

 

And he supported the Vietnamese authorities decision to carry out a cull.

 

"The only way to control the disease in chickens and humans... is to eradicate the infected flocks," Mr Horby said.