16th person dies of bird flu in Vietnam 12 year old boy

A 12-year-old boy, called Cao Van Khay, from Tay Ninh, died on Monday in hospital. He had been admitted five days previously.


Phan Van Tu, a virologist at the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, said .'The results came through on Friday showing that the child had tested positive for the H5N1 virus. It is a very strange case because it happened after a long time without any new H5N1 cases. Local authorities said the family of the boy did not raise any chickens but in their area there are dead poultry which have not been properly buried by people.'


They will carry out tests on the boy's other family members.


Vietnam has had the most human deaths from bird flu. The strain in Vietnam, the H5N1, is highly pathogenic. Thailand, which is ranked second in deaths, has had eight fatalities.


The Vietnamese authorities say that they will declare the bird flu eradicated at the end of March.


The UN and other international agencies are warning countries against prematurely declaring victory.


Many experts from international agencies are concerned that the Vietnamese authorities are going to sweep the problem under the carpet.