Thursday, March 18, 2010

Vietnam: Bird flu back and more powerful virus H5N1 evolution?

Recently, scientists have discovered is the exchange and integration between the influenza A/H5N1 virus circulating in Vietnam, creating too fast evolution of this virus and are of highly pathogenic strains.
Number of H5N1 infections in three months by the year 2009

According to latest report of the Department of Preventive Health and Environment (Ministry of Health), from early 2010 until now, the country recorded five cases positive for influenza A/H5N1 in humans, two cases of death.

Looking back at the 2009, Vietnam recorded five ca influenza A/H5N1 infection and this is ca 5 mortality, mortality was 100%, higher than double the previous year.

So only 3 months in early 2010, the number of people infected with both influenza A/H5N1 was in 2009, the number of deaths is approximately ½ in 2009.

Dr Le Quynh Mai - Virus Dean, Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology PRIVATE said that recently, scientists have discovered is the exchange and integration between the influenza A/H5N1 virus circulating in Vietnam, creating a too fast evolution of this virus and are of highly pathogenic strains. Experts have discovered a number of changes of antigen reduces the sensitivity of influenza treatment.

Before this situation, again, the question about the possibility of a mixture of two types of influenza A/H1N1 and influenza A/H5N1 virus became hot issues.

In the past month, the monitoring system of key influenza, cases of influenza A/H1N1 syndrome has decreased, only about 18% of samples tested positive for H1N1 in the previous figure would be 80 -- 100%.

However, Masters Nguyen Hong Ha, Deputy Director of the Hospital for Tropical Investment has estimated that the H5N1 virus from a few years now has always existed in the environment, even the poultry do not die but can still carry the virus. H1N1 virus was reduced but still exists, so, when H5N1 becomes strong, the risk is still recombinant. "Influenza Virus no stability genetically. It has the ability of recombinant, sort and suddenly very high.

Virus H1N1 short-lived but spread quickly from person to person. Virus H5N1 gay high mortality but low ability to spread. If the combination, most likely will create a new virus more dangerous, just a quick spread of H1N1 from person to person, just high risk of death by H5N1.


Translate only discovered when someone infected?
H5N1 virus in poultry exist then spread to humans.
Review 5 ca influenza A/H5N1 infection in Vietnam since early this year, see:


After investigating the residence of patients in Soc Son (Hanoi), dinner 15 thirds, Sub-Department of Animal Health, Hanoi said, there are 60 test serum samples and throat service virtually negative for bird flu virus A/H5N1, still have not found the source of infection of patients.

Patients with H5N1 infection in Binh Dinh (now died), the new functional bodies of local spread the disease to determine the source.

Now patients in Khanh Hoa, patients have no family who are ill, not sick poultry / death. But nearly a month before starting disease patients, ostrich farm (the patient's home near 1 km) with ostrich phenomenon unexplained death.

Families of patients in Tuyen Quang, the chickens are sick phenomenon / death but without a cause.

Patients die in Tien Giang is a slaughtering and processing aquatic birds before the disease but the area also has been warned there is disease.

So, clearly, the collaboration between the Medical and Veterinary not close, most cases of influenza detected in humans before then epidemiological investigation and detection of influenza in poultry.

Can he talk with Van Binh, Deputy Director Chi Chi Department of Animal Health, Hanoi, he concedes prevention poultry weak. The cause is due out depends very much on the raising awareness: People do not bring birds to vaccination, we also bear!
In addition, sub-department staff are difficult to control the number of all poultry consumed each day in Hanoi as the number of restrictions, lack of synchronization between local authorities and the market management.

Bad influenza A/H5N1 back also occurs in many countries around the world, not separate Vietnam. Recently, WHO also for the Ministry of Health in Egypt has recorded five cases of influenza A/H5N1, which has a severe case, there is no death. [this is not true...See Egypt Fact Box, right side-bar]

Thus, from the beginning of the year, Vietnam is the only national recognition of deaths due to this virus. This trend, along with Indonesia, Vietnam is one of the two countries with many cases of death due to H5N1 virus one.

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