RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service

Situation Update No. 1

Posted:2010-03-15, 06:07:20 [UTC]

Ref.no.: BH-20100315-25335-VNM

Situation Update No. 1
On 2010-03-16 at 04:25:44 [UTC]

Event: Biological Hazard
Location: Vietnam Province of Bac Ninh Nam Son commune Bac Ninh city

An outbreak of avian flu (A/H1N1) has been reported in northern Bac Ninh Province. The latest outbreak brought the total number of affected provinces to six, including Bac Ninh, Ca Mau, Dien Bien, Ha Giang, Khanh Hoa and Tuyen Quang, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Animal Health Department. Authorities in Bac Ninh Province said the epidemic has killed more than 200 chickens owned by a family in Da Cau hamlet, Nam Son Commune. An additional 200 birds had to be culled. The local Animal Health Unit vaccinated all of the remaining birds in the commune, set up check-up points and postponed all poultry sales at markets in the commune. The director of the Preventive Medicine and Environment Department under the Ministry of Health, Nguyen Huy Nga, said that there was a high risk the flu could spread to other localities because winter-spring weather conditions would create favourable conditions for the flu virus to develop. Meanwhile, unquaran-tined poultry were still on sale in many markets, making it easy for more people to be affected by the flu, he said at a national workshop on preventing human infection of avian influenza in Ha Noi last week. "People in many localities, particularly those in remote and mountainous areas, continue to slaughter and eat sick poultry," he added. Four people were diagnosed with A/H5N1 since early this year. One 38-year-old patient from southern Tien Giang Province died as a result of the illness. Dr Le Quynh Mai, Head of the Virus Department of the Ha Noi-based Bach Mai Hospital, said recent research showed that A/H5N1 has developed into a more complicated virus and could threaten the community's health. "A more dangerous kind of flu virus may develop in the future if existing forms of the flu mutate into a new virus," Mai said. In order to prevent further spread of the epidemic, the Preventive Medicine and Environment Department warned people to not slaughter and eat sick poultry. He asked them to promptly inform local authorities of infected birds for timely treatment, and to refrain from transporting and trading unquarantined poultry.