The Vietnamese Ministry of Health (MoH) announced Wednesday a confirmed case and death of a 26-year-old pregnant female from H5N1 avian influenza. Health officials reported a bird flu death in Vietnam last month when a 18-year-old duck farmer perished from the deadly virus.
Avian influenza was confirmed in a sample last week by the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City. Samples from the newborn infant of the fatal case tested negative for H5N1.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the woman from Soc Trang province developed symptoms on 23 January 2012, and was admitted to hospital on 25 January. She was treated with Oseltamivir on 27 January, she died on 28 January.
The MoH said she slaughtered and ate sick chickens. Close contacts of the victim have received prophylaxis and are being monitored; to date all remain well.
The WHO reports this case is the 121st person in Viet Nam to become infected with the H5N1 virus. To date, 61 of these cases have died from complications of the disease.
In addition to the human bird flu fatality, there is much concern about a large-scale outbreak in poultry in Vietnam.
Bird flu has been reported in three provinces affecting nearly 1,700 poultry and forcing the killing of more than 4,000 domestic fowls in the past month.
In a Nam News Network report today, the Health Ministry warned of a possible large-scale outbreak of bird flu if the three affected provinces could not keep the disease under control while unfavorable weather conditions, transport and slaughtering of poultry posed a high risk.
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