Girl in Vietnam has bird flu - H5N1 virus

Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 30 Dec 2004 - 14:00 PDT

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According to officials in Viet Nam, a 16 year old girl has the H5N1 bird (avian) flu virus. She is from Tay Ninh province (southern part of the country). She came into hospital last Sunday with a very high temperature and bird flu symptoms. Test results reveal she has bird flu.

Deputy Director of Ho Chi Minh City Hospital, Dr. Tran Tinh Hien, told reuters news agency "Her condition is not getting better or worse compared with two days ago." He added that the girl is still on a respirator.

WHO officials have been told about this (says WHO).

So far this month, 10,000 birds have been destroyed (culled) as a preventative measure, say Vietnamese officials. The virus has been found in six southern provinces (this month).

The girl and her family have been eating infected chickens (and handling them), according to state media. The girl started with a cough, then had a temperature which gradually climbed and ended up in hospital last Sunday.

Bird flu tends to spread faster during the winter months.