Vietnam sends teams to investigate flu outbreak in centre of country
HO CHI MINH CITY - Vietnamese health experts are investigating an outbreak in which scores of people are suffering flu-like symptoms in the same central region where a five-year-old boy was infected with avian flu nearly two weeks ago, officials said. The six experts were sent to Quang Binh province to gather specimens from patients experiencing high fever, coughing and breathing difficulties after initial reports 195 people were experiencing flu-like symptoms, said Dinh Sy Hien, deputy director of the Pasteur Institute in Nha Trang, which sent three team members.
He said the initial figure could have been exaggerated because villagers panicked when they learned about the boy's infection. The news may have triggered a psychological response that made people experience false symptoms, he said Wednesday.
However, the World Health Organization is monitoring the situation and has a quarantine plan in place if a large number of people test positive for avian flu, said Hans Troedsson, WHO country director. He said a team of international experts also could be sent to the area quickly if needed. But Troedsson said other illnesses, such as other types of influenza and dengue fever, must be ruled out first.
Avian flu has killed at least 13 Vietnamese and one Cambodian since late December. Cambodia's health minister announced Thursday an additional Cambodian is believed to have died of the disease. More than 1.5 million birds have died or been slaughtered this year. Experts have warned avian flu could pose a greater threat to human health if the virus mutates and becomes easily transmittable among people. However, there has been no evidence the virus has changed and most human cases have been traced to contact with sick poultry.
The five-year-old boy from Kinh Chau commune was taken to hospital March 12 with avian flu symptoms, three days after his 13-year-old sister died after experiencing a high fever and breathing difficulties. She was never tested for avian influenza. The boy's uncle told authorities the family ate a chicken after it became sick and died, a practice that was common in the village. The boy remained in stable condition Wednesday and was continuing to improve, a doctor at the hospital said.
All of the poultry in the commune have been destroyed but test results are not yet available, said Truong Dinh Dinh, director of the Quang Binh Preventative Medicine Centre. No quarantine restrictions have been put in place and Dinh said all chicken farms have been disinfected.
The Associated Press - March 23, 2005
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