Vietnam suspects 5 more cases of bird flu

Saturday, January 17, 2004 . Last updated 8:13 a.m. PT
Vietnam suspects 5 more cases of bird flu
By TINI TRAN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
HANOI, Vietnam -- Vietnam reported five more suspected human bird flu
cases Saturday - including the first from the south - as the World
Health Organization confirmed a fourth death was caused by the disease.
The new fatality was a 5-year-old boy from Nam Dinh province, 60 miles
south of Hanoi, who died on Jan. 8, WHO spokesman Bob Dietz said. He
said increased numbers of people are being hospitalized with respiratory
problems, although it was unclear whether they are linked to bird flu.
"We believe we are seeing more cases of respiratory illness" coming into
two hospitals in Hanoi, Dietz said.
Millions of chickens throughout Vietnam, Japan, and South Korea are
infected with the deadly strain of avian influenza, although Vietnam is
the only country to have confirmed cases of human infection.
Besides the four confirmed deaths, the WHO says it is monitoring three
other suspect cases. Vietnam has reported at least 18 suspected cases,
with 13 deaths.
On Saturday, hospital officials in southern Kien Giang province said a
21-year-old woman admitted Jan. 11 and a 25-year-old man hospitalized
two days later showed all the symptoms of influenza A, or the H5N1
strain of bird flu.
The two patients both had high fevers, coughs, low blood pressure and
low levels of blood cells, symptoms of influenza A, a doctor said,
speaking on condition of anonymity.
It is the first time suspected human cases have been reported in the
south, where the bulk of the bird infections have been. On Saturday,
government officials confirmed that about 2 million chickens have died
or been slaughtered to stop the avian flu from spreading.
Samples have been sent to the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City and
results are expected next week. The two people had not traveled recently
outside the province, where no poultry sickened by bird flu have been
reported, the doctor said.
Also, the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper reported Saturday that three
1-year-old babies from Hanoi and two surrounding provinces suspected of
contracting the virus were admitted to a pediatric hospital in the last
two days. Two of them are in serious condition and were on respirators,
it said.
Hospital officials declined to comment Saturday.
Over the weekend, the WHO began assembling a team of international
experts, which will grow to 14 people, whose main objective will be
discovering how to minimize the risk of human transmission, said Dr.
Hitoshi O****ani.
"The more people (that are) exposed to the virus, the more people
infected with this virus, there is a possibility this virus could
acquire the capability of human to human transmission. That's what we
need to prevent," he said.
Health officials believe the infected patients contracted the disease
through contact with bird droppings. So far, there has been no evidence
of person-to-person transmission, which experts have said could make the
disease a deadlier epidemic than SARS.



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