February 4, 2004

 

 

Vietnam Bird Flu Spread To 53 Provinces

 

The bird flu outbreak in Vietnam has spread to 53 provinces around the country. Most of Vietnam's cases have been from the northern region around the capital, Hanoi. The death of a 16-year-old is the first case from the southern Mekong Delta area, which has been especially hard-hit by poultry infections.

 

Bird flu virus has infected millions of chickens and ducks in 10 Asian countries. But it is known to have crossed over to humans in only Vietnam and Thailand, which has confirmed four human bird flu deaths.

 

Health officials have said they believe most of the human infections came from direct contact with infected birds. But WHO officials are currently investigating the possibility of human-to-human transmission - the scenario officials fear most - in one infected family.

 

The bird flu virus appears to be able to spread only between birds, or from birds to humans. There are concerns that a new virus hybrid could develop and be able to spread between people, but there has been no evidence of that.

 

Vietnam's cases included an 18-year-old man who died Monday in Ho Chi Minh City. The man, from the Koho ethnic minority group, was the first case reported in the Central Highlands region.

 

Others included a 19-year-old man from northern Bac Giang province, who has recovered and been released from a hospital. Another, a 20-year-old woman from northern Bac Ninh province, is still hospitalized in Hanoi.

 

An 8-year-old girl remains hospitalized with the disease in Ho Chi Minh City. A 4-year-old boy has fully recovered and returned home.

 

By Wednesday, the bird flu had spread to 53 of Vietnam's 64 provinces, killing or forcing the cull of more than 12 million chickens and ducks.

 

Hanoi authorities have banned poultry sales in the city, and ordered the cull of all the estimated 2 million chickens and ducks here, said Hoang Van Hung of the Hanoi's People's Committee.

 

"The measures are necessary to prevent a health threat," he said.

 

Vietnam's largest city, the southern business hub of Ho Chi Minh City, ordered the slaughter of all of its 2 million chickens and ducks two weeks ago.

 

Callers have swamped four telephone hot lines set up this week to answer public bird flu queries, said Dr. Tran Van Tien at Hanoi's National Institute for Hygiene and Epidemiology.

 

"I've gotten too many calls from people all over the country," Tien said. "People called me at midnight. There were people calling at 4 a.m."