H5N1 bird flu outbreaks reported in Vietnam
Two provinces in Vietnam are reporting H5N1 bird flu outbreaks in poultry, affecting hundreds of birds, according to a Xinhua report today.
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The report states that farms in TinhGia district, Vietnam’s central ThanhHoa province and the central highlands province of Kon Tum have tested positive for the highly pathogenic avian influenza.
In ThanhHoa province, nearly 200 chickens reportedly died over the weekend, while some 600 chickens in Kon Tum province showed symptoms of suspected avian flu and 470 died on during the same time period.
Health and agricultural officials have asked the affected areas to cull and properly dispose of infected chickens.
In Kon Tum, a veterinarian exposed to the birds is currently hospitalized with non-specific symptoms.
Vietnam has reported two human H5N1 avian flu fatalities so far in 2014.
According to the World Health Organization, Avian influenza (“bird flu”) is an infectious disease of birds caused by type A strains of the influenza virus. The infection can cause a wide spectrum of symptoms in birds, ranging from mild illness, which may pass unnoticed, to a rapidly fatal disease that can cause severe epidemics.
Avian influenza viruses do not normally infect humans. However, there have been instances of certain highly pathogenic strains causing severe respiratory disease in humans.
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