Quang Binh Bird Flu Transfers to Hue Increase
Recombinomics Commentary
March 23, 2005
>>A middle-aged man from Vietnam's central Quang Binh province has been hospitalized for being suspected of contracting bird flu virus strain H5N1, according to local newspaper Youth on Wednesday.
The 41-year-old man named Hoang Van Thu from Chau Hoa commune, Tuyen Hoa district, was admitted to a hospital in Hue central city on Monday after having high temperature for a week. <<
The above case would appear to be the first case identified by the team sent to the Chau Hoa commune to investigate 195 residents with flu symptoms. He is the second reported case transferred to Hue Central Hospital. The 5 year-old brother, Hoang Trong Suing, of the 13 year-old index case, Hoang Thi Huong, was also transferred to Hue. It is not clear of the most recent case is related to the siblings. There have now been several reports that have not mentioned the third sibling, who was reported to have become ill.
The latest report also does not mention the patient admitted Mar 17 to the local hospital. It is not clear if that patient was also transferred to Hue. The patient was from the neighboring district of Quang Trach, which is also in Quang Binh.
Thus, at this time the cluster is at least 3, all with the family name of Hoang. One is confirmed, one has died, and one has not been confirmed, but admitted to the Central Hue hospital.
More information on the other two patients mentioned above, as well as the 195 with flu symptoms would be useful. 195 patients in a small commune in association with 3-5 likely bird flu cases should be monitored closely.
Influenza A and H5N1 sub-typing results on all patients would be useful.
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