Strict control of cases of pneumonia-negative H5N1

On the afternoon of November 30, Deputy Minister of Health Trinh Quan Huan asked establishments to treat patients with influenza A to closely monitor severe cases of pneumonia with rapid progress despite the negative test results for H5N1. It is possible that the main culprit is a more dangerous new influenza virus.

Mr. Nguyen Duc Hien, Director of the Institute of Clinical Medicine for Tropical Diseases said, recently, this facility regularly receives patients with respiratory infections, even serious cases. There are currently 2 patients with severe pneumonia, multi-organ failure, one with very rapid development. However, all had negative results for H5N1.

Dr. Trinh Quan Huan asked the Institute of Clinical Medicine for Tropical Diseases to isolate and treat the above-mentioned patients with the same procedure as those infected with influenza A. According to Huan, with H5N1-infected cases, there is inflammation severe lung, rapid progress, does not exclude the possibility that the main culprit is a new virus that can spread very quickly, even a recombinant or mutated strain of H5N1, more dangerous its "original".

Therefore, if detecting such cases, the treatment facility must segregate treatment and closely monitor, and immediately report to the Steering Committee for influenza prevention and control in time to study.