- Title: VIETNAM: WHO INVESTIGATES OUTBREAK OF BIRD FLU IN HANOI
- Date: 15th January 2004
- Summary: (W4) HANOI, VIETNAM (JANUARY 15, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. SLV EXTERIOR OF ENTRANCE TO INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL OF PEDIATRICS 0.06 2. SMV NURSE WITH MASK WALKING OUTSIDE HOSPITAL 0.12 3. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WITH CHILDREN WALKING OUTSIDE HOSPITAL (2 SH0TS) 0.23 4. VARIOUS OF WHO (WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION) OFFICE IN HANOI/ SIGN 0.30 5. SCU (SOUNDBITE)(English) HIROSHI OSHITANI, WHO REPRESENTATIVE, SAYING "And there are many things, actually, that need to be done urgently. We have to reduce the risk of the human infection. We believe these people were infected from probably chicken and we have to reduce the risk of human infection. And we also need to find out if there is any human to human transmission. Those are the two most urgent things to do." 1.04 6. WIDE OF HIROSHI OSHITANI, WHO REPRESENTATIVE TALKING WITH REPORTER 1.08 7. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) OSHITANI, SAYING "For some of the cases we don't have the samples, some died two, three months ago - so we don't have the samples for these cases. So we probably cannot identify the cause of death of this patient. We are still waiting for the result for some of the patients." 1.33 8. VARIOUS OF OSHITAN LEAVING OFFICE WITH OTHER OFFICIALS 1/43 9. SLV CAR LEAVING WHO OFFICES 1.53 10. CLOSE OF SIGN OUTSIDE HEALTH MINISTRY IN HANOI 1.58 11. SLV OSHITANI ARRIVING AT HEALTH MINISTRY FOR MEETING WITH OFFICIALS 2.07 12. WIDE OF EXTERIOR OF HEALTH MINISTRY IN HANOI 2.10 13. SMV OSHITANI INSIDE HEALTH MINISTRY 2.16 14. WIDE OF STREET IN HANOI WHERE POULTRY MARKET IS LOCATED 2.19 15. SLV OF POULTRY MARKET 2.25 16. SLV OF PEOPLE BUYING CHICKEN IN MARKET 2.29 17. SLV OF DUCKS IN POULTRY MARKET 2.34 18. SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) ANTON RYCHENER, VIETNAM REPRESENTATIVE OF THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANISATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS, SAYING "And we are sending a livestock expert and she is going to look at the livestock aspect of the crisis." 2.47 19. SLV WOMAN CARRYING CHICKENS ON BICYCLE 2.54 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 30th January 2004 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: HANOI, VIETNAM
- Country: Vietnam
- Reuters ID: LVA4PNCFL8WTIOW6EF40ZLML93TI
- Story Text: Battling bird flu, Vietnam bans transport of
chickens while World Health Organisation and others
investigate the virus.
Vietnam banned the transport of chickens within 18
southern provinces on Thursday (January 15) as it tries to
contain a bird flu outbreak that has killed at least three
people and nearly two million poultry.
A total of 12 people in northern Vietnam have died from
influenza, but only three have been confirmed by the WHO to
have contracted bird flu. It is unclear how the three
caught the virus.
Doctors said three of the five suspected cases were
relatives of a patient who had died with influenza
symptoms.
World Health Organisation (WHO) and The Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO) are investigating the
outbreak in Hanoi, while the Agriculture Ministry said no
chickens could be moved in or out of the provinces, where
the outbreak is first thought to have occurred late last
year.
"And there are many things, actually, that need to be
done urgently. We have to reduce the risk of the human
infection. We believe these people were infected from
probably chicken and we have to reduce the risk of human
infection. And we also need to find out if there is any
human to human transmission. Those are the two most urgent
things to do," said Hiroshi Oshitani, WHO representative in
Hanoi.
Vietnam has said there are five more suspected human
cases of bird flu, which experts say could be more
devastating than last year's SARS virus if it combines with
a human influenza virus.
The WHO, which has sent two experts to the Southeast
Asian country for consultations, said a vaccine to fight
the outbreak would arrive in the next few weeks at the
earliest. Vietnam lacks the expertise and equipment to
fight the disease.
The FAO is conducting its own investigation into the
handling of poultry.
"We are sending a livestock expert and she is going to
look at the livestock aspect of the crisis," said Anton
Rychener, of the FAO.
The outbreak comes just weeks before Tet, the Lunar New
Year holiday that is Vietnam's biggest festival and which
features chicken as a major dish.
It is still unclear if the virus can be transmitted by
human-to-human contact. Experts say the newly created
virus could turn out to
be more dangerous than SARS since the human body might be
unable to fight off the invading virus.
Japan as well as South Korea have also reported major
outbreaks of bird flu that have resulted in hundreds of
thousands of poultry being culled.
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