BBC Sixth bird flu death in Vietnam

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>

>BBC DAILY E-MAIL: UK EDITION

>Saturday, 24 January, 2004, 09:00 GMT 01:00 US/Pacific

>

> * Sixth bird flu death in Vietnam *

>A 13-year-old boy dies of avian flu in Vietnam,

>as more Asian nations join a growing boycott of

>chicken.

>Full story:

>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3425361.stm

>

Sixth bird flu death in Vietnam

A 13-year-old boy has become Vietnam's sixth

victim of avian flu, the World Health

Organization (WHO) has said.

 

Five Vietnamese children and one adult have now

died from the virus, which has also crossed from

birds to humans in Thailand.

 

The WHO has warned that the outbreak could mutate and become more dangerous.

 

Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan and South Korea have

joined a growing list of countries to ban imports

of poultry from Thailand, Asia's main exporter.

 

AVIAN FLU ALERT

First jumped " species barrier " from bird to human in 1997

In humans, similar symptoms include fever, sore throat, and cough

Types known to infect humans are influenza A subtypes H5N1 and H9N2

 

Thailand's main poultry buyers Japan and the

European Union had already banned Thai chicken,

along with the Philippines, Hong Kong and

Bangladesh.

 

Avian flu has also affected chickens in Cambodia,

Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea - but is not known

to have jumped from birds to humans in these

countries.

 

The latest victim of the Vietnamese outbreak died

on Thursday in Ho Chi Minh City - the first

confirmation of the virus in the south of the

country.

 

The WHO also announced that an eight-year-old

girl in the city had tested positive for the

virus and was in a critical condition.

 

'No cover-up'

 

Friday saw Thailand confirm its first two cases of avian flu in humans.

 

------------AVIAN FLU TIMELINE

Nov 2003 - Thailand reports what it calls chicken cholera

15 Dec - S Korea confirms avian flu outbreak

9 Jan 2004 - UN sends help to Vietnam after avian flu outbreak

11 Jan - First of five Vietnamese deaths confirmed as avian flu

13 Jan - Japan confirms avian flu outbreak

15 Jan - Taiwan announces different strain of avian flu

21 Jan - Laos reports suspected chicken cholera

23 Jan - Thailand confirms first human cases of avian flu

23 Jan - Cambodia detects first case in chickens ------------------------

 

Bangkok said two boys had contracted the virus

after touching carcasses of infected poultry -

one boy in Suphanburi and one in Kanchanaburi

province.

 

Medical authorities also announced the death of a

56-year-old Thai who raised fighting cocks at his

home near Bangkok. He was one of six people in

the country being tested for avian flu.

 

The authorities say anyone suffering from fever

and bronchitis after having been in contact with

poultry should seek urgent medical attention.

 

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has denied

accusations that his government tried to cover up

the outbreak of avian flu.

 

" There has been a lot of talk that the government

has been trying to cover this up, " Mr Thaksin

said in a weekly radio address on Saturday.

 

" That we didn't say anything doesn't mean we

weren't working. We've been working very hard. "

 

 

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3425361.stm

 

Published: 2004/01/24 06:02:21 GMT

 

© BBC MMIV

 

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