HANOI, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- A 33-year-old man from South Korea died of pneumonia with bird flu-like symptoms in Vietnam´s southern Can Tho city, local media reported Wednesday.

    The man named Lu Chin-chu, whose wife is from the city´s Co Dodistrict, died on Tuesday afternoon, 11 hours after being admitted to the Can Tho General Hospital, said Youth newspaper. Specimens from the patient are being tested for bird flu virus strain H5N1.

    His father in South Korea is suffering from pneumonia with bird flu-like symptoms, according to his relatives in the city.

    Bird flu first occurred in Vietnam in December 2003. Since then, 100 people in the country have been recorded with H5N1, 46 of whom died, reported Vietnam News newspaper. The majority of human cases have been exposed to infected poultry.

Update reported indicated the family are from Taiwan instead of SK.

The 32-year-old Taiwanese man, who died of suspected avian influenza
in Viet Nam on 5 Nov 2007, went to Viet Nam on 31 Oct 2007. According
to information received from the Ho Chi Min City Pasteur Institute,
the man was admitted to hospital on 2 Nov 2007, presenting with fever
of 38.5 degrees C [101.3 degrees F], cough, sore throat, and dyspnea.
Additional information from his wife indicated that he had abdominal
pain associated with severe uncontrollable watery diarrhea. The man
also had a history of chronic diarrhea and alcoholic hepatitis. No
additional information on the final diagnosis has been received.
However, avian influenza had been ruled out.

The father of the suspected case of avian influenza was admitted to
hospital in Taiwan on 6 Oct 2007. He was a 58-year-old man with long
history of smoking. In October, he was admitted because of increased
frequency of cough. Chest x-ray showed left upper lobe, posterior
segment consolidation that is suspicious of tuberculosis. After
treatment with antibiotics, the patient was discharged. He has been
well since discharge.

At this time, we do not believe that there is any epidemiological
association between the illnesses of the father and son.

--
Steve H.S. Kuo, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Taiwan Centers for Disease Control
<http://www.cdc.gov.tw/>