Taiwanese man dies in Vietnam, tests negative for bird flu

[Sally Furniss]

South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-11/07/content_7025977.htm

HANOI, Nov. 7 (Xinhua) -- A 33-year-old man from South Korea died of pneumonia with bird flu-like symptoms in Vietnam's southern Can Tho city, local media reported Wednesday. The man named Lu Chin-chu, whose wife is from the city's Co Dodistrict, died on Tuesday afternoon, 11 hours after being admitted to the Can Tho General Hospital, said Youth newspaper. Specimens from the patient are being tested for bird flu virus strain H5N1.
His father in South Korea is suffering from pneumonia with bird flu-like symptoms, according to his relatives in the city.
Bird flu first occurred in Vietnam in December 2003. Since then, 100 people in the country have been recorded with H5N1, 46 of whom died, reported Vietnam News newspaper. The majority of human cases have been exposed to infected poultry.

[HenryN]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

Export of H5N1 via people is a major red flag. Birds migrate into South Vietnam at this time of the year (which accounted for South Korean outbreaks in late 2003 and late 2006. In late 2006, the H5N1 was Qinghai in South Korea (followed by Japan in early 2007).

[Sally Furniss]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

His father in South Korea is suffering from pneumonia with bird flu-like symptoms, according to his relatives in the city.

Note: Not an official source. Relatives possible speculating. Also does not say the man traveled.

[HenryN]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

Note: Not an official source. Relatives possible speculating. Also does not say the man traveled.

South Korea is not in southern Vietnam. Father is in south Korea, son is in southern Vietnam.

[Sally Furniss]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

It seems odd the relatives don't say the father is in hospital.

[HenryN]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

It seems odd the relatives don't say the father is in hospital.

The article is short and lacks much detail (such as disease onset dates and travel history).
What relatives did and did not say remains unclear.

[HenryN]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

Commentary at

http://www.recombinomics.com/News/11070701/H5N1_Vietnam_Korea.html

[Sally Furniss]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

<big><big>Commentary</big></big>

Suspect H5N1 Familial Cluster in Vietnam and South Korea
Recombinomics Commentary
November 7, 2007

A 33-year-old man from South Korea died of pneumonia with bird flu-like symptoms in Vietnam's southern Can Tho city, local media reported Wednesday. The man named Lu Chin-chu, whose wife is from the city's Co Do district, died on Tuesday afternoon, 11 hours after being admitted to the Can Tho General Hospital, said Youth newspaper. Specimens from the patient are being tested for bird flu virus strain H5N1.

His father in South Korea is suffering from pneumonia with bird flu-like symptoms, according to his relatives in the city.

The above report of suspected bird flu among family members in southern Vietnam and South Korea raises more questions than it answers. Although reported transport of H5N1 via commercial airliner has been limited to exotic birds, transport of SARS CoV via airline accelerated the SARS outbreak in early 2002, and is a major red flag for the spread of infectious diseases in general.

Although neither case has been medically diagnosed, this is the time of year for new H5N1 cases in Vietnam and Korea. The explosion of H5N1 out of China was first reported in Vietnam and Korea in late 2003. In Vietnam the H5N1 was clade 1 and was followed by human cases in Thailand in 2004 and Cambodia in 2005. The first reported Cambodian case also died in southern Vietnam after travel for treatment. Recently, Vietnam has reported clade 2.3 (Fujian strain) H5N1 in waterfowl.

It is unclear of the fatal cases in southern Vietnam recently traveled there from southern Korea. In late 2003 the H5N1 reported in southern Korea was a genetic precursor for the clade 2.2 H5N1 that was reported in the spring of H5N1 at Qinghai Lake. Last year at this time the H5N1 in south Korea was in the same location (see satellite tracking of whooper swans from Mongolia) and was the Qinghai strain, which is transported and transmitted by migratory birds. In both 2003 and 2006, the outbreaks in southern Korea were followed by outbreaks in Japan.

However, to date there have been no reported H5N1 human cases in either country, other than low antibody titers in cullers.

More information on the two suspect cases described above would be useful, including disease inset dates and travel history.

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100&#37;" align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left height=35>Korean dies of suspected bird flu in southern Vietnam


</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>A South Korean man died of pneumonia in Can Tho city Monday, local doctors, who suspect he had contracted bird flu, said.

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top align=left>The man was taken to the city General Hospital at 3:00AM Monday with high fever and breathing problems. He died at 2:00PM.

The doctors have sent his blood samples to Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City to test for the H5N1 strain of bird flu virus, which has caused 100 infections and 46 deaths in Vietnam in the last few years.

The man’s family said his father in Korea too was suffering from pneumonia-like symptoms.

http://www.thanhniennews.com/healthy...8&newsid=33199

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

[HenryN]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

H5N1 report in Vietnam

http://www.baohatay.com.vn/news_deta...92274&CatID=16

Online translation indicates it is earlier report on E627K

According to a study new obtain announce , vi-r&#250;t bird flu H5N1 altered to can nice development in respiratory road above human being . discover this for find H5N1 no cease in ho&#225; to become dangerous than in the past


Day 4 / 10 , doctor Yoshihiro Kawaoka , head group study belong to university Wisconsin-Madison ( U.S ) , say vi-r&#250;t H5N1 altered to can l&#226;y to easy human being than , despite he still not yet become a new vi-r&#250;t current , has cause possibility epidemic disease in people . according to Mr. Kawaoka , this changes is very worry should .

He said : " we just discover vi-r&#250;t H5N1 has transformation particular has possibility help they nice development in respiratory road above human being " .

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

Can Tho is on the extreme southern end of Vietnam - in a delta on a river meandering out of Cambodia.

.

[HenryN]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

Can Tho is on the extreme southern end of Vietnam - in a delta on a river meandering out of Cambodia.

.

My guess is that the infection originated in South Korea (but travel histories would help a lot - if family infections are related, son recently flew to southern Vietnam or father flew to South Korea).

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

In the earlier post #10, that was erased and replaced with the Kawaoka article........see the new pig swine thread......it mentions 22 patients!

???

[HenryN]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

In the earlier post #10, that was erased and replaced with the Kawaoka article........see the new pig swine thread......it mentions 22 patients!

???

Earlier article mentions 19 patients, but infectious agent wasn't clear.

[HenryN]

Re: South Korean man dies in Vietnam, suspected of contracting bird flu

Here is Vietnamese article on Korean patient:

http://tintuconline.vietnamnet.vn/vn/xahoi/170497/

Online translation

A foreigner die sudden because of contract flu H5N1 ?
Th four , 7 / 11 / 2007 , 15:06 GMT + 7
Mr. Lu Chin week , 33 year-old , South Korean , join courtyard faculty many city need Thơ moment 3h day 5 / 11 , because of hospital ah county M&#244;n move to . when join courtyard faculty many city need Thơ , health situation Mr. Lu Chin week sốt tall , difficult , suy respiratory

To 7h morning the same day sudden patient suy respiratory heavy , must put nội windpipe ; shoot X-ray , ultra sonic , blood test for find lung hurt like circumstances pneumonia heavy because of virus , to 14h the same day patient die , corpse patient obtain move to keep in mortuary of central general hospital need Thơ

Mr. Lu Chin week take Vietnamese wife , village in district flag red , city need Thơ . according to people home direction wife Mr. Lu Chin week say , father intestine his ( in South Korea ) also ing mắc disease , has resemble symptom .

According to information from each doctor say , when shoot lung patient define patient die is because of pneumonia heavy virus . nevertheless , define to exact patient relatively to flu virus A ( H5N1 ) well no , must take mẫu test send to courtyard Pasteur TP Hồ Ch&#237; Minh and waiting result

At present , general hospital city need Thơ isolating some people direct contact with patient , things use , equipment page and wash correct repeatation according to regulation