31 August 2007

WHO has introduced an External Quality Assessment Project (see description of EQA project) for national reference laboratories for the detection of subtype influenza A viruses by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and has now amended the criteria for accepting confirmed cases of A(H5) infection (see amended WHO criteria).

Based on the amended criteria, the Ministry of Health of Viet Nam confirms the following 5 additional cases of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza, including 4 deaths, in the country. The table of cumulative number of confirmed human cases has been amended accordingly.