March 26, 2004

 

 

Vietnam Authorities Deny Alleged Bird Flu Death

 

Vietnam hopes of declaring the country bird flu free was dealt a severe blow when a 12-year-old boy died last week of suspected bird flu infection.

 

Local authorities have denied that the cause of death was bird flu, insisting that they were still clarifying matters.

 

During the weekend, an official at the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, one of three laboratories in the country that can detect the deadly flu virus, said tests showed the youth had the H5N1 virus when he died on March 15.

 

However, for the past week, Vietnamese officials have consistently refused to acknowledge the death as the country's first reported case in a month.

 

Vietnam has had a total of 16 deaths from the avian influenza, the heaviest human toll Asia-wide, where a total of 24 people have died.

 

Foreign Ministry spokesman Le Dung said Thursday the Ministry of Health had not been formally informed of the latest death by either the Pasteur Institute or Tay Ninh province health workers. "They have not received an official report," he said.

 

"According to competent authorities, the causes of death of the 12-year-old in Tay Ninh province are being clarified," Dung said, refusing to elaborate.

 

The Pasteur Institute has said that it was sending a team to Tay Ninh province to investigate the death.

 

Vietnamese media has repeatedly reported that the country still intends to declare itself bird flu free by March 28, saying that no outbreaks have been reported in poultry in more than a month.

 

On Thursday, Dung stopped short of that, saying "The Vietnamese government will declare the end of bird flu once all localities have met the standards required by the animal health ordinance."

 

He also refuted charges that Vietnam has not been forthcoming in sharing information.

 

"Since the beginning of the outbreak of bird flu until now when the epidemic has waned, we have been providing regular reports to and exchanged information on and closely cooperated with international organizations, including the WHO and FAO in our efforts against the epidemic," he said.

 

Earlier this week, the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization raised questions regarding Vietnam's transparency over the bird flu.

 

"You can be sure that the young man got in contact with an infected animal. There's no question, which contradicts what the government has said (about new cases)," said Anton Rychener, Vietnam's representative for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, said Monday. "Do we need any further proof?"

 

The World Health Organization said its request for more information has not been answered, calling the delay "troubling."

 

International health and animal officials have repeatedly warned Asian nations that the deadly avian virus remains in poultry and still constitutes a threat. However, Vietnam and its neighbor Thailand, have both been eager to proclaim they have bird flu under control.

 

Thailand, which did make the announcement earlier this month, was forced to backtrack when dead chickens turned up within days.