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28 Bird Flu Cases in Northern and Central Vietnam
Recombinomics Commentary
June 20, 2005
>> The two patients and three suspected cases were admitted to the Institute of Tropical Diseases in Hanoi capital city from June 18-19. Currently, the institute is treating 28 people with bird flu symptoms, of whom 13 have been tested positive to H5N1.<<
The five new admissions of H5N1 bird flu patients raises the number of cases admitted this month to an alarming and unprecedented number of 28 conformed or suspect cases at the Institute of Tropical Diseases. The timeline on the admissions also suggests that additional cases will be admitted.
There were two admissions in the first week of the month, 13 in the second week, and 13 in the third week Prior to the latest 5 admissions, the earlier admissions were from at least 6 provinces in northern and central Vietnam.
In addition there is a new confirmed outbreak of H5N1 on a chicken farm in An Khanh commune in Ben Tre province in southern Vietnam. There have been no reported H5N1 human cases in the south, but the cases in the north appear to be milder and represent for efficient human to human transmission based on the large number of newly admitted patients and the lack of contact with dead birds.
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