Fergie's Tech Blog

H5N1 News: New bird flu outbreaks in Vietnam and China

Gaia Vince writes in NewScientist:

Vietnam and China have reported new outbreaks of the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu. In Japan, the authorities are to cull 180,000 chickens after discovering the first case of bird flu there in over a year.

In northern Vietnam's Bac Giang province, 4000 poultry and water fowl have died in fresh outbreaks of bird flu, an animal health official said on Friday. The birds died after 25 October in three provinces about 70 kilometres (45 miles) north of Hanoi, he said.

Tests are being conducted for at least one suspected human case, the official added. The areas are now under a close watch and quarantine has been imposed. More than 60 people have died from human infection by the H5N1 strain in east Asia, with at least 41 of these in Vietnam.

Also, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new situation update today:

Influenza pandemic threat: current situation
(4 November 2005)

posted by Fergie @ 11/04/2005 08:14:00 AM