VietNamNet Bridge - Since January 19, 41 students of the Tri Duc high school in Hanoi have been hospitalized with symptoms of flu (fever, cough, respiratory infections). Quick tests showed that they were positive for H1N1 virus, the strain that caused the pandemic in 2009.

These students were transferred to the Central Tropical Diseases Hospital. After 1-2 days of tracking, most of them were discharged. Some cases with fever have been transferred to the Pediatric Ward for treatment.

The Hospital reported to the Ministry of Health and the Hanoi Preventive Medical Center to deal with the flu outbreak. At the same time, the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology collected samples for testing.

Derived from pigs, H1N1 swine flu boomed in 2009. In Vietnam, thousands of people were infected with the virus and over 50 died. After the pandemic in 2009, the H1N1 strain currently circulates as a seasonalflu strain.

Recent test results showed that the influenza virus strains circulating in humans are mainly H3N2, H1N1 and influenza B.

Recently, the Central Tropical Diseases Hospital also received a critical seasonal H3N2 flu case. In addition, the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases is curing a severe pneumonia patient who is suspected of catching flu virus. The blood sample of this patient is being tested.

Mr. Nguyen Nhat Canh, Director of the Hanoi Preventive Medical Center, warned that although no cases of A/H7N9 had been reported so far in Vietnam, the country was still at risk of an outbreak following hundreds of cases in China.

Vietnam recorded its first case of A/H5N1 this year when a 52-year-old man died in the southern province of Binh Phuoc last Saturday after seven days with symptoms linked to avian influenza type A/H5N1.

In a related move, the National Steering Committee for Bird Flu Prevention and Control on Tuesday ordered ministries and relevant agencies to co-operate with veterinary departments to take prompt action to prevent the spread of strains of avian influenza during Tet (Lunar New Year).

Pham Van Dong, head of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development's Animal Health Department, said that new strains of avian influenza found in poultry several years ago had circulated among humans, with fatal cases recorded only in Hong Kong and Taiwan so far.

Le Ha