Bird flu crisis mounts as official plays down fears

THE human cost of Asia’s bird flu crisis mounted yesterday with Vietnam’s 21st case of the disease confirmed, while Singapore’s top health official moved to ease fears of travel in Asia by saying it was safe going to countries affected by the virus.

The 15-year-old boy in Vietnam was in hospital with fever, coughing and shortness of breath in northern Thanh Hoa province, where doctors said it was unclear how he was infected.

Many of the 20 people killed by bird flu in Asia have come from poultry farming families or otherwise had contact with birds sickened by the outbreak, which was first reported in December in South Korea and now spans across 10 countries.

The boy’s family raises no poultry, and says he did not come in contact with birds, although his neighbourhood did experience a bird flu outbreak.

“We were surprised that he got infected with the bird flu,” said Dr Le Trong Dung of Thanh Hoa General Hospital.

In Singapore, which has so far kept free of the outbreak, acting Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said he has assured his relatives they should travel to Thailand despite concerns about bird flu in poultry farms there. The disease also has jumped to humans in Thailand, killing six, as well as in Vietnam, where it has killed 14.

“There’s no need to avoid infected countries,” said Khaw. “However, the best precaution is to stay away from farms. Stay in the city and there should be no problem.”

Singapore is to gas and burn thousands of healthy chickens in a drill to prepare for any possible outbreak.