Viet Nam in new human avian flu alert:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Viet Nam is investigating a single human case of avian flu (H5N1) infection, the first since early September 2004, when a spate of cases raised fears of human-to-human transmission (see Clinica No 1126, p 13). "As avian influenza viruses become more active at cooler temperatures, further poultry outbreaks, possibly accompanied by sporadic human cases, can be anticipated," said the World Health Organization (WHO), in response to the "informal reports of a laboratory-confirmed case" in the southern province of Tay Ninh. The latest case, reported on December 30, brings the total number of human cases in Viet Nam in 2004 to 28, of which 20 were fatal. Reports of human cases in Thailand brought the 2004 total in Asia to 45, including 32 fatalities.