NEWS: Vietnam reports second case of bird flu with no symptoms, page 1

posted on Mar, 9 2005 @ 03:39 PM

link

Vietnamese health officials have now reported a second case of asymptomatic H5N1 virus or bird flu. Earlier the officials had reported the case of a 80 year old man who had in infected his grandchildren with the disease, but did not fall ill. The new case was discovered in a 61 year old widow whose husband died of the disease. This raised concern that the disease may be more widespread that it seems.

www.mercurynews.com
HANOI, Vietnam - Vietnamese health officials said Wednesday the 61-year-old widow of a bird flu victim has also tested positive for the H5N1 virus, but showed no symptoms.

Earlier in the day, officials reported that an 80-year-old man - who had two infected grandchildren - also had the virus but did not fall ill.

The two cases raised concerns that avian influenza may be more widespread than originally believed.

"It's quite possible that some people are falling sick and their symptoms are very light and they don't end up in hospital," WHO regional spokesman Peter Cordingley said earlier this week.

Nguyen Tran Hien, director of the National Institute for Hygiene and Epidemology, confirmed that lab tests showed the elderly woman from northern Thai Binh province had contracted the H5N1 virus.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

This is an ominous sign. There may be carriers of the disease lurking just about anywhere and they do not even realize it. Let alone health care officials. Its similar to the danger posed by small pox in that the incubation period is so long, you don't know you are sick till you have infected untold numbers of others. If this truly breaks out in a pandemic, it will really overwhelm the health care facilities in a modern country let alone a third world one.

worldwatcher

posted on Mar, 9 2005 @ 03:56 PM

link

Oh man that is scary!!!! no symptoms means that more people might continue their regular lives and spread the virus at an even faster pace.

FredT

posted on Mar, 9 2005 @ 03:59 PM

link

Originally posted by worldwatcher
Oh man that is scary!!!! no symptoms means that more people might continue their regular lives and spread the virus at an even faster pace.

I can tell you that from an epidemic standpoint its bad bad bad.

I just talked to our ID guy (Infectious Disease) guy and he is actually worried about this development. Not much to do about it but wait.

FredT

posted on Mar, 10 2005 @ 12:15 AM

link

Two elderly Vietnamese people who are related to victims of bird flu have themselves contracted the disease, according to local health officials.
The new cases, neither of which had shown any symptoms, will add to concerns the disease may be spreading more readily between humans.

Experts are worried the virus could eventually combine with human flu and risk a deadly pandemic.
Concern at Vietnam bird flu cases