Issue new regimens to treat influenza A

On November 14, the Ministry of Health issued a protocol to guide the diagnosis, management and prevention of viral pneumonia infection. This new document will be used in place of the regimen launched late September last year.

According to the newly issued treatment regimen, people infected or suspected of being infected with H5N1 must be isolated and treated right from the commune level. Health workers and those who directly take care of patients with H5N1 are protected by Tamiflu antiviral drugs. Also according to the above regimen, people who feed, trade, transport, slaughter, eat sick poultry, eat broth or live in an area with poultry, contact people with influenza or die from pneumonia unknown reasons are subject to suspicion, close supervision.

About patient P., a suspected patient with avian influenza being treated at the Institute of Clinical Diseases of Tropical Diseases, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology had the test results: Mr. P. was not infected with H5N1. Thus, the number of people infected with avian influenza in Vietnam since the epidemic appeared (at the end of 2003) has so far stopped at 92 cases, of which 42 have died.