Vietnam confirms first human death from bird flu in over a year
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Chickens are seen held in a basket for sale at a wholesale market in Calcutta, India, Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2008. Authorities confirmed India's worst outbreak of bird flu was the virulent H5N1 virus strain Tuesday, and announced plans to slaughter 2 million birds in eastern India in a bid to contain the disease. (AP Photo/Bikas Das) (AP)
Vietnam has confirmed its first human death from bird flu in more than a year, though it is not related to an outbreak of a new strain in China.
Health official Doan Tan Buu said Tuesday that a 4-year-old boy died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu on April 4 after being hospitalized in southern Dong Thap province.
Buu said the boy developed fever and other symptoms on March 23 after his family slaughtered a chicken bought in a village where tests later confirmed an outbreak among poultry.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Vietnam's last human bird flu death was reported in February last year.
Vietnam has not reported any trace of the H7N9 virus, a new bird flu strain that has killed seven in neighboring China since February.