20 January 2012 - The Ministry of Health (MoH) has announced a confirmed case of human infection with avian influenza A (H5N1) virus.

The case was an 18 year-old male from Kien Giang Province. He developed symptoms on 10 January 2012 and was admitted to hospital on 14 January 2012 but died on 16 January 2012. Confirmatory test results for influenza A (H5N1) were obtained on 17 January 2012 by Pasteur Institute, the WHO National Influenza Centre in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.

The man was reportedly exposed to ducks. Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City and the local health sector are conducting outbreak investigation and response. He is the 120th person in Viet Nam to become infected with the H5N1 virus; to date, 60 of these cases have died from complications of the disease.