The first case of death from H5N1 flu in 2014

After a week of illness, 52-year-old man in Binh Minh commune, Bu Dang district (Binh Phuoc) died.

This is the first case of influenza A (H5N1) infection in the year, after 9 months, no human cases were reported.

According to the announcement of the afternoon of January 20 of the Department of Preventive Medicine (Ministry of Health), on January 11, the patient showed signs of fever, cough, shortness of breath, was taken to the examination and treatment at Bu Dang General Hospital with diagnosis of suspected pneumonia caused by virus. 6 days later, the patient was admitted to the Infectious Department, Binh Phuoc General Hospital.

Due to very rapid lung damage, on January 18, the family asked to transfer patients to the HCMC Tropical Diseases Hospital and this person died in the afternoon of the same day.

Test results of patients' samples showed positive results for avian influenza A (H5N1) virus. Epidemiological investigations showed that the patient's family had slaughtering and eating duck meat. The surrounding area has an unexplained sick, dead chicken.

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The Department of Health, Binh Phuoc Preventive Medicine Center has dealt with outbreaks and monitored the health of exposed people but has not discovered any new cases.

In order to proactively prevent and control avian influenza in humans, the Preventive Medicine Department requests the Department of Health and Binh Phuoc Preventive Medicine Center to conduct epidemiological investigation and strengthen surveillance and prevention of influenza. The Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City has set up an investigation team to investigate cases of poultry breeding in the locality.

The Ministry of Health also requested the Department of Animal Health (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development) to strengthen supervision, detection and thorough handling of influenza outbreaks in poultry; at the same time, to coordinate the implementation of measures to prevent and fight bird flu infection to humans.

In order to proactively prevent influenza A (H5N1) outbreaks from poultry to humans, the Preventive Medicine Department recommends that people implement some of the following measures:

1. Do not eat poultry, poultry products that are sick, dead and of unknown origin; ensure to eat cooked, boiled; Wash your hands with soap before eating.

2. No slaughtering, transporting, buying and selling poultry and poultry products of unknown origin.

3. When detecting absolutely sick or dead poultry without slaughtering and using it, they must immediately notify the local authorities and veterinary units in the locality.

4. When there are flu symptoms such as fever, cough, chest pain, shortness of breath related to poultry, they must go immediately to a health facility for advice, examination and treatment.