More Suspect H5N1 Patients in Northern Vietnam
Recombinomics Commentary 00:51
February 16, 2008
As well as two patients who have already died of the H5N1 virus this year, the National Institute for Infectious and Tropical Diseases is treating others with high temperatures and respiratory problems. Doctors think these patients have been infected with the H5N1 virus.
The Central Pediatrics Hospital has also admitted patients with the above symptoms, but clinical tests are negative to H5N1. These patients are under close watch.
The above comments describe additional suspect H5N1 patients in northern Vietnam (see satellite map). The clinical picture remains confused. Media reports have contradictory information on the 7 year old described earlier. Some reports indicate the patient has been confirmed, while others say the patient has tested negative.
Similarly, the comments above describe two sets of patients with symptoms, one which has tested negative, while the other presenting with clinical symptoms.
False negatives have been a problem in Vietnam in the past. There have been multiple reports of new poultry outbreaks, which may be linked to newer sequences with primer mismatches, leading to false negatives in lab tests.
In the past, Vietnam has sent samples to Japan for testing. Independent testing of clinical samples may be useful.
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