Bird flu kills first human in Vietnam since 2005

Bird flu has killed a 20-year-old Vietnamese man, the first death in the country from the virus since late 2005, state-run television reported on yesterday.

The man died last week in the northern province of Ha Tay neighbouring Hanoi, Deputy Health Minister Trinh Quan Huan was quoted as saying.

The television report did not say how the victim became infected with the H5N1 virus.

Vietnam's programme of poultry vaccination and other measures has been described by international health experts as a model for keeping the H5N1 virus at bay, but this year it has spread nationwide in ducks and chickens.

Yesterday's report brings to five the number of human cases announced by health authorities since May and the first fatality, raising Vietnam's death toll since late 2003 to 43 people.

The World Health Organisation has not confirmed the latest cases.

In October 2005, a 35-year-old man died in Hanoi after eating a chicken and health officials later confirmed he had the H5N1 virus. That year, H5N1 killed 19 patients out of 61 infected.

Vietnamese officials warned early this week that more people could be infected as bird flu in ducks and chickens has spread to nearly one third of 64 provinces and cities since early May.