Viet Nam: 4 suspected human cases (one fatal) of avian influenza
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One man died of suspected avian influenza in Viet Nam over the weekend
[15-16 Jan 2005], and 3 people were hospitalized, as news reports showed
that the virus has spread across the entire country.

In neighboring Thailand, health workers have been put on alert and ordered
to conduct stringent surveillance measures, but it is Viet Nam that has
emerged as the epicenter for the deadly H5N1 virus.

A 48-year-old man, his younger brother and a 62-year-old man were
hospitalized on Sat 15 Jan 2005 with acute pneumonia, which doctors in
Hanoi suspected could be caused by avian influenza virus, the Quan Doi Nhan
Dan daily reported on Mon 17 Jan 2005. The 48-year-old man died, and the
other 2 patients were in critical condition.

If the cause of the man´s death is confirmed as bird flu, it would be the
1st fatality in the north of the country from the poultry virus that has
killed 37 people in Asia: 25 in Viet Nam and 12 in Thailand.

A 4th patient, a 14-year-old boy, was taken to a Ho Chi Minh hospital with
high fever and coughing on Sun 16 Jan 2005 from the southern province of
Tra Vinh, according to the Laborer newspaper. Government officials were not
immediately available for comment.

The human victims are believed to have caught the virus from contact with
diseased poultry. The Agriculture Ministry stated that avian influenza had
spread to ducks and chickens in the Ninh Thuan and Quang Nam provinces in
Viet Nam´s central region. The virus has emerged now in all of the
country´s 3 regions. Officials said some 234 000 chickens, ducks and birds
have died or have been slaughtered because of the virus since the beginning
of the year [2005].

Vietnamese researchers will soon start testing a vaccine on monkeys,
chickens and mice with the hope of using it on humans and poultry, the
Laborer newspaper said. It quoted Pham Ngoc Dinh, deputy head of the
Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, as saying the vaccine has been under
research since April 2004.

Last year [2004], bird flu destroyed 17 percent of Vietnam´s poultry stock
of 250 million.

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[As of Thu 13 Jan 2005, the World Health Organization gives the cumulative
number of confirmed human cases of avian influenza A (H5N1) virus infection
in East Asia since 28 Jan 2004 as 48 (17 in Thailand and 31 in Viet Nam);
of these persons, 35 have died (12 in Thailand and 23 in Viet Nam).
<http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/en/>
The Vietnamese authorities state that the cumulative number of deaths in
Viet Nam will be increased to 25 if the death of the 48-year-old patient is
confirmed as due to avian influenza. The significant observation, however,
is that the death of this patient is the 1st to have occurred in the north
of the country, and it follows the expansion of the outbreak into northern
Viet Nam. - Mod.CP]

Vietnam halts poultry import from neighboring countries

The Vietnamese government has decided to temporarily cease the import of fowls and fowl products from neighboring countries, local newspaper Youth reported Tuesday.

    Under an instruction issued by Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on Monday, relevant agencies and authorities of cities and provinces nationwide are urged to take urgent measures to deal with bird flu which has stricken 136 communes of 18 localities, mainly in the southern region, killing and leading to the forced culling of 254, 000 poultry since January.

    The measures include culling all fowls in a flock if any dead or sick poultry is spotted in the flock, isolating and detoxifying affected areas, forbidding the transport of fowls and their eggs out of the areas, and closely monitoring the slaughtering, processing and carrying poultry and their eggs.

    The central government and local ones are offering financial assistance to farmers. Under the government´s policies, farmers will receive 5,000 Vietnamese dong (VND) (US$0.3) per fowl culled. However, many local authorities can give them up to 15,000 VND (US$0.9).

    The country is also considering the possibility of vaccinating fowls, and researching the use of vaccine for persons. In the first quarter of this year, the National Hygiene and Epidemiology Institute will use bird flu vaccines on monkeys, chickens and mice on trial basis.In late March 2004, Vietnam declared an end to the bird flu outbreak starting in December 2003, which killed or led to the forced culling of 17 percent of its poultry population or 43.2 million fowls.

PM: Intensified measures to stamp out bird flu epidemic

• First, to totally cull all poultry stocks which have any birds die of the disease, or which are discovered to be infected with the virus following confirmation by responsible experts; and to isolate and disinfect areas of high risk according to the veterinary review.
• Second, veterinary agencies, police forces, market managers and local authorities are asked to strictly prevent the transport of poultry and poultry products out of and into infected areas. Chairpersons of People´s Committees at all levels must be responsible for enforcing the ban on poultry transport out of and into areas with outbreaks of avian flu.
• Third, control over poultry slaughtering, processing and transporting must be tightened in unaffected areas as well.
• Fourth, imports of poultry and poultry products from neighbouring countries have to be temporarily suspended. Imported poultry and poultry products must be seized and destroyed under the guidance of specialised agencies and the owners will receive no compensation and have to pay fees for the killing of their poultry.