SCI/TECH: Nurse Possible First Human to Human Transmission of Avian Flu

In Hanoi, Vietnam, a 26 year old male nurse has tested positve for the avian Bird Flu after caring for a patient infected with the virus. The nurse, who is the first medical worker reported to have tested positive for the disease, was admitted to Hanoi hospial on February 28th and is reported in a stable condition. Authorities say that is is more likely that the man caught the disease in his girlfriend's home province, where the disease has had outbreaks, rather than contracting the illness from his patient.



The 21 year old patient of the nurse, who contracted the illness after consuming raw ducks blood has a younger sister being treated in the same hospital for the same virus. The siblings have raised renewed concerns of the mutation of the virus.

All previous cases in the Thai Binh area contracted the disease from direct contact with poultry.

Authorities worldwide are now on a heightened alert for the mutation of the virus which seems at this point to be a matter of when and not if.

Related News Links:
www.reuters.com
news.scotsman.com

Related AboveTopSecret.com Discussion Threads:
Vietnamese nurse tests positive for bird flu


[edit on 11-3-2005 by Banshee]

Also FYI - person to person transmissions have been popping up for a while. Here's a recent reference.

Flu cases rise in U.S.; Peak may be Ahead

The new H5N1 virus has spread to 10 countries since cropping up in Hong Kong eight years ago. More than 70 percent of the known human cases have been fatal. And though most of the victims have had direct contact with birds, researchers have recently described several instances of person-to-person transmission.


New Fears of a Bird-Flu Pandemic

The problem I see is that these cases in other countries are not taken seriously enough, if people starts dying in the US from common flu, how do we know that it was not from another type of flu, are we going to be told? or as long as is just a "few" people we will never be able to find out.

if people starts dying in the US from common flu

It is not uncommon for many people to die every year from the flu and complications due to influenza.

[edit on 7/3/05 by Skibum]

Jeez--raw ducks blood?

Who knows where this virus will go or how many species it will claim this year, but personally, I think it was one of the reasons that Tommy Thompson decided to retire from Health and Human Services. He had the feeling of, the old finger in the dike sensation--with the growth of Aids, mad cow and this bird flu, and noone to talk to about them.

well, shoot, ingesting directly the blood from an animal known to be a carrier? Real freaking smart. And the guy's supposed to be some sort of medical professional? Was he *trying* to infect himself, start a panic, get some foreign aid?

Perhaps, the only way to get this disease is by direct blood contact. Then, it wouldn't be such a panic causing item in the media. Might have to spend time reporting real issues. Medical companies wouldn't be able to make a fortune selling vaccines for a disease that cannot spread without intent. Much profit, at taxpayers' expense, would be lost.

Not to mention the amount of sympathy donations the UN and the foreign aid industy could collect and "manage" right into their own little pockets.

Originally posted by Phugedaboudet

Perhaps, the only way to get this disease is by direct blood contact.

Ahem. The old reports show that the virus is carried in the meat - it's old news, old info, even if not publicized. Works that way in chickens too. Cooking the meat very, very well might kill the the bug.

....Gotta wonder why pertinent info like that isn't being publicized. Supposedly not to panic people. Right. Might save someone's life.



.

Originally posted by soficrow

Originally posted by Phugedaboudet

Perhaps, the only way to get this disease is by direct blood contact.

You're right. The ingestion of raw blood pretty much messed with that level of risk messed with my brain too much. Anything that hangs out in blood will pretty much be in there if the meat's uncooked.

You'd think after a few centuries people would understand. This is why I don't believe billions for education is the "be all, end all" for the solutions of disease and pandemics.



Ahem. The old reports show that the virus is carried in the meat - it's old news, old info, even if not publicized. Works that way in chickens too. Cooking the meat very, very well might kill the the bug.

....Gotta wonder why pertinent info like that isn't being publicized. Supposedly not to panic people. Right. Might save someone's life.



.

Originally posted by Phugedaboudet
well, shoot, ingesting directly the blood from an animal known to be a carrier? Real freaking smart. And the guy's supposed to be some sort of medical professional? Was he *trying* to infect himself, start a panic, get some foreign aid?

I believe it was the nurses patient who ingested the raw ducks blood. I am not sure of his patients sister and how she contracted the disease.

Yes Human to Human has happened before but as always if you look between the lines there is a more important story here:

Either the nurse ignored basic isolation precautions in taking care of a infected patient.

or

The existing conditions and isolation protocols and training are woefully inadequate.

Im hoping for the former myself as the latter is too scary to comptemplate

Wll Fred, that stopped me in my tracks and got me thinking. I never thought of it that way. I guess I just thougt it would be standard risk of contracting a disease from a patient you are caring for.

It would be interesting to see which of the two scenarios actually happened.



[edit on 7-3-2005 by Mayet]

With the population density in all of Asia, there will be a problemm keeping the virus contained.

Bird flu claims second victim in Cambodia
March 24

A 28-year-old Cambodian has died of bird flu at a hospital to become the country's second victim of the virus, the health minister said.

The victim, Meas Ran, came from Kampot province which borders Vietnam.

His village of Tram Sasor is 20 kilometres from the home of the first victim, a woman aged 25 who died in January while being treated in Vietnam.

"The tests show that the man had H5. It is in the bird flu group (of viruses). We sent a sample on Wednesday to France for further confirmation," Health Minister Nuth Sokhom said as he travelled to Kampot province.

abc.net.au

mike81859, you have a very good point regarding population density.