Bird Flu Reported in China and Vietnam

China and Vietnam are both reporting the reemergence of H5N1 bird flu. A 19-year old Beijing woman died in Beijing after cleaning ducks she had purchased. A young woman in Vietnam has also contracted the virus, and she remains alive. These are the first cases of human bird flu in a year in both countries.

Last month, a Hong Kong infant contracted a mild form of bird flu; she’s still in hospital for observation. According to the World Health Organization, H5N1 bird flu has killed 248 people since it reappeared in Asia in 2003. These new cases come after a two-year decline in the number of human deaths from H5N1 bird flu.