WHO confirms virus causing flu epidemic in Vietnam

cctv.com 01-15-2004 14:58

The virus H5N1 has been identified as the cause of the recent bird flu and flue type A outbreak in Vietnam. An official from the World Health Organization confirmed the finding on Wednesday. The deadly virus is also believed to have caused the bird flu epidemic in Hong Kong in 1997.

WHO representative in Vietnam Pascale Brudon said three out of the six samples taken from Vietnamese flu patients tested positive for the virus H5N1. The virus is believed to be able to jump from chickens to humans. But there has so far been no evidence of person-to-person transmission. The WHO and the Vietnamese government are continuing to investigate the possibility of human transmissions.

Strict measures have been taken to prevent the disease spreading.Head of Crematorium Working Team Nguyen Huuloc said: "Chickens will be burned whenever the veterinary department send us the chickens. We are responsible for burning the chickens safely. We will burn the chickens right after we receive them from the department and we have to be on duty around the clock 24 hours a day."

Preventative measures against the bird flu and flu type A include destroying infected poultry, avoiding contact with poultry, keeping accommodation well ventilated, and keeping the body warm and clean.

By Wednesday, over one million chickens had been killed in the southern provinces of Long An and Tien Giang. 12 out of the 14 hospitalized patients have died of flu type A, including 11 children.

The WHO has sent two medical officers to Vietnam to help the country deal with the outbreak, and it is considering sending more experts if the situation deteriorates.

Editor:Su Qin  Source:CCTV.com