the health authorities of Vietnam disinfected the house where the boy lived

The Ho Chi Minh City Health Department in Vietnam has reported the death of a three year old boy from the deadly H5N1 avian influenza following a four day battle to save him in hospital. Nguyen Van Chau, the director of the hospital explained that the boy had come from south west province of Dong Thap and was rushed to the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital for Tropical Diseases when he started to suffer from respiratory problems and a very high fever.

While it could not be confirmed, it is likely that the boy became sick after eating duck a few days previously. His parents who had also eaten the same duck were subjected to testing to make sure that they had not contracted the virus along with local poultry farmers.  In line with standard procedure the health authorities of Vietnam disinfected the house where the boy lived and the immediate area around it.

A number of individuals were also given the influenza medication Tamiflu which is recommended by the World Health Organisation as being the most effective drug to treat symptoms of the deadly virus in humans. This case is the third fatality from the H5N1 bird flu virus and the first from the southern region of Vietnam in 2009. Overall Vietnam is the second most hit country in the world from the bird flu virus with over 100 human infections and 53 deaths.

The bird-flu virus is being monitored all around the world because of the fear that should the virus become easily transmittable between humans it could spark off a worldwide pandemic that could kill millions of people. At present the recorded cases of human bird flu all appear to have started because of contact with infected birds.