Amid the re-occurrence of A/H5N1, the occurrence of A/H1N1 and the risk of A/H7N9 infection in the country, people are facing several health danger

According to the ministry, A/H7N9 is a new type of bird flu virus that stems from poultry and some bird species and could result in human fatalities.

A/H7N9 patients often suffer from symptoms of respiratory inflammation such as coughing, fever, and lung injuries.

Such patients are advised to take Oseltamivir or Zanamivir as soon as possible and undergo a treatment of from three to five days.

As Vietnam has yet to develop an A/H7N9 vaccine for humans, the ministry recommended some preventive measures including a ban on the trading, transportation and slaughtering unqualified poultry, using masks when having a cold and increasing personal sanitation.

To date, the country has yet to record any cases of type A/H7N9 flu, but the re-occurrence of type A/H5N1 virus among both poultry and humans has created greater risk of a bird flu outbreak.

Prof. cum Dr. Le Dang Ha, former director of the Central Hospital of Tropical Diseases said said A/H7N9 has the same symptoms with A/H5N1. All feathered species are vulnerable to the new type of bird flu virus.

“At present, amid the re-occurrence of A/H5N1, the occurrence of A/H1N1 and the risk of A/H7N9 infection in the country, people are facing several health dangers,” Ha emphasised.

Recently, over 4,000 young swallows in Ninh Thuan Province died, stirring public concerns over the possibility of a bird flu outbreak.

However, tests on bird samples have all been negative to A/H5N1 avian flu. Local authorities blamed to the situation on hot weather and the humid living environment commonly home to such birds.