Vietnam’s Bird Flu toll to 14 as another victim dies

A Vietnamese man has died as a result of the deadly bird flu sweeping the region, taking Asia’s death toll to 19. Meanwhile, a Cambodian woman who died last week in a Vietnamese hospital could be the first victim from that neighbouring country, officials said. However, a report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the weekend showed the H5N1 virus was not spreading from person to person, suggesting it was not yet mutating into forms that could turn it into a global epidemic for humans. The latest victim was a 27-year-old man from Vietnam’s southern Binh Phuoc province, a medical official said. A 23-year-old man from Vietnam’s Central Highlands has tested positive for the H5N1 strain and was being treated, the official from the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City said. The World Health Organisation was not immediately available for comment on the new death. Fourteen people have died of the disease in Vietnam, while five have died in Thailand.

A Vietnamese man has died as a result of the deadly bird flu sweeping the region, taking Asia’s death toll to 19.Meanwhile, a Cambodian woman who died last week in a Vietnamese hospital could be the first victim from that neighbouring country, officials said.However, a report from the World Health Organisation (WHO) at the weekend showed the H5N1 virus was not spreading from person to person, suggesting it was not yet mutating into forms that could turn it into a global epidemic for humans.The latest victim was a 27-year-old man from Vietnam’s southern Binh Phuoc province, a medical official said.A 23-year-old man from Vietnam’s Central Highlands has tested positive for the H5N1 strain and was being treated, the official from the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City said.The World Health Organisation was not immediately available for comment on the new death.Fourteen people have died of the disease in Vietnam, while five have died in Thailand.(Source: ABC Health News Online, Reuters Health, Feb 2004)