anyone who had been in contact with the girl is being kept under surveillance

An announcement from the World Health Organisation in Geneva has confirmed that the first human case of the H5N1 avian influenza virus has occurred in Burma. The case in question involves a seven year old girl from the north eastern province of Shan. The good news is however that the girl was taken to hospital in time and is now fully recovered. Even though it has not been confirmed it is probable that she was given the bird flu drug Tamiflu.

Samples of the flu virus were sent to the Burmese National Health Laboratory based in Yangon however the World Health Organisation always require that the virus is tested in one of their own laboratories before it is officially confirmed. The Burmese Ministry of Health along with the World Health Organisation are investigating the source of the bird flu infection and it seems that it is likely that the likely source of the virus came from poultry which had recently died in the area close to the girl’s home.

In line with correct procedure anyone who had been in contact with the girl or with birds in the area is being kept under surveillance and to date no one else seems to have contracted the deadly virus. The Burmese Ministry of Health were disappointed that a human case had occurred in their country but bird flu experts said that they have been extremely lucky up until now to have suffered no deaths from the virus.

Indonesia and Vietnam as well as most Asian countries in the region have been the worst affected from the bird flu virus worldwide. In all well over 300 people have contracted the virus and over 200 of them have died from it.