Bird Flu takes Life of a Young Vietnamese Man

Vietnam has come under the dark wings of bird flu once again after 2005, as the fatal virus has taken the life of a 20 year old Vietnamese man, bringing the death toll to 43.

“Tests confirmed a 20-year-old man from northern Ha Tay province died from the H5N1 bird flu virus a week ago,” the Vietnam News Agency quoted Vice Minister of Health Trinh Quan Huan as saying Saturday at a bird flu meeting in Hanoi.

The man got ill on 2nd June, and after being admitted to the hospital, died on 10th June. The news agency also said that the vicinity has been disinfected and cleared of all possible signs of bird flu virus.

The reports also revealed that the man’s family reared about two dozen fighting cocks along with ducks. However, the television report did not say how the young lad got the infection.

Ever since bird flu broke out and started spreading its notorious wings all over the globe, various measures have been taken by all the countries to protect their population. Vietnam was hailed as the best region where the measures were strict and 100% safe, leading the international health experts say that the country is like a role model in keeping the H5N1 virus at bay.

The countries extensive steps of poultry vaccination have been strictly adhered to ever since the reports broke off of bird flu virus spreading. Although, a number of fatalities have been reported, but Vietnam had not reported a human bird flu death since November 2005, even though it has lately had four other human cases. Two of the patients have completely recovered, while the other two remain hospitalized.

The World Health Organisation has not confirmed the latest cases.

"We are aware of a number of suspected cases but nothing can be confirmed until we have results from our labs," WHO spokeswoman Dida Connor said in Hanoi.

"We are investigating closely. The government is working with us," she said.

The Vietnamese officials have warned the people of the outbreak of the virus, and said that nearly one third of 64 provinces and cities now have infected ducks and chickens.

Vietnam's Animal Health Department said on Saturday that fresh bird flu cases has been spread to a number of regions and all are under the governments watch list of 16 provinces and 2 cities.

Ha Tay has not been bracketed as the infected area, but it is the biggest supplier of poultry to nearly three million people in the capital.

So far, Bird flu virus has killed 191 people out of the 313 cases reported. As of May 31st, 2007, the highest number of cases has been reported in Indonesia. Out of the 98 infected, 78 lost their lives.

100% deaths have been reported in Cambodia, Laos and Nigeria. The condition has improved in all the countries ever since the first case was reported in PR China. In 2003, 100% deaths were reported, but the percentage has gradually lowered down to 70%, 43%, 69% and 63% in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 respectively, bringing down the total aggregate to 61%.

The H5N1 virus remains primarily a virus of birds, but experts fright that once it starts transmitting from person to person, it would sweep the world, killing millions.