Thai Binh Haiphong and Quang Ninh H5N1 Clusters
Recombinomics Commentary
April 6, 2005
The clusters of bird flu in northern Vietnam have merged and now cover the northeastern coastline of Vietnam adjacent to Haiphong Harbor.
The three provinces, Thai Binh, Haiphong, and Quang Ninh have the three largest clusters in terms of members admitted on the same day (Haiphong), longest transmission chain including two health care workers (Thai Binh), and first heath care worker fatality (Quang Ninh).
There is clear human-to-human transmission going on in this region, which led to the executive order on April 1 in the US authorizing bird flu quarantine.
Quang Ninh is adjacent to China, and the four cases at the Vietnam-Sweden hospital are ringing alarm bells loudly.
The flu pandemic of 2005 has clearly begun.