Health
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Vietnam Reports First Human H5N1 Case of 2025
## Vietnam Confirms First Human H5N1 Avian Flu Case of 2025
**HCMC, Vietnam** – Vietnam has reported its first human case of H5N1 avian flu in 2025, marking a concerning development in the ongoing global spread of the virus. An eight-year-old girl from Tay Ninh province, located in southern Vietnam, is currently hospitalized with encephalitis, a rare neurological complication of H5N1 infection.
The girl's symptoms, which began on April 11th, included fever, headache, and vomiting. Initially treated at a provincial hospital, her condition worsened, leading to her transfer to Children's Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City on April 13th. While respiratory samples tested negative for H5N1, cerebrospinal fluid analysis confirmed the presence of the virus, a finding later validated by the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City. The child remains hospitalized on a ventilator but is exhibiting stable vital signs.
Epidemiological investigations revealed the girl had contact with poultry at her grandmother's home two weeks prior to her illness; a mass die-off of birds had occurred at that location. Experts note that while rare, H5N1 infections solely affecting the central nervous system have been documented previously in Vietnam. This case echoes a 2004 incident involving two siblings who experienced severe neurological symptoms without respiratory issues, highlighting the virus’s broader clinical spectrum.
Vietnam's last reported human H5N1 case occurred in December 2024. While the specific H5N1 clade infecting the eight-year-old girl remains undetermined, scientists have previously warned about a reassortant strain circulating in the Greater Mekong region, containing genetic material from both older (2.3.2.1c) and newer (2.3.4.4b) clades.
The girl's case follows a concerning global trend. Reports indicate that H5N1 has spread to dairy herds and poultry flocks in the United States, infecting humans and other mammals. In the US, seventy people have contracted the virus, with one fatality. Experts express worry over the virus' potential to evolve into a pandemic strain and stress the need for rapid response and improved surveillance. The situation underscores the ongoing need for vigilance and proactive measures to prevent further spread of this dangerous virus. The current situation highlights the challenges in containing H5N1, given its ability to jump between species and its potential for severe illness and mortality.
**HCMC, Vietnam** – Vietnam has reported its first human case of H5N1 avian flu in 2025, marking a concerning development in the ongoing global spread of the virus. An eight-year-old girl from Tay Ninh province, located in southern Vietnam, is currently hospitalized with encephalitis, a rare neurological complication of H5N1 infection.
The girl's symptoms, which began on April 11th, included fever, headache, and vomiting. Initially treated at a provincial hospital, her condition worsened, leading to her transfer to Children's Hospital 1 in Ho Chi Minh City on April 13th. While respiratory samples tested negative for H5N1, cerebrospinal fluid analysis confirmed the presence of the virus, a finding later validated by the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City. The child remains hospitalized on a ventilator but is exhibiting stable vital signs.
Epidemiological investigations revealed the girl had contact with poultry at her grandmother's home two weeks prior to her illness; a mass die-off of birds had occurred at that location. Experts note that while rare, H5N1 infections solely affecting the central nervous system have been documented previously in Vietnam. This case echoes a 2004 incident involving two siblings who experienced severe neurological symptoms without respiratory issues, highlighting the virus’s broader clinical spectrum.
Vietnam's last reported human H5N1 case occurred in December 2024. While the specific H5N1 clade infecting the eight-year-old girl remains undetermined, scientists have previously warned about a reassortant strain circulating in the Greater Mekong region, containing genetic material from both older (2.3.2.1c) and newer (2.3.4.4b) clades.
The girl's case follows a concerning global trend. Reports indicate that H5N1 has spread to dairy herds and poultry flocks in the United States, infecting humans and other mammals. In the US, seventy people have contracted the virus, with one fatality. Experts express worry over the virus' potential to evolve into a pandemic strain and stress the need for rapid response and improved surveillance. The situation underscores the ongoing need for vigilance and proactive measures to prevent further spread of this dangerous virus. The current situation highlights the challenges in containing H5N1, given its ability to jump between species and its potential for severe illness and mortality.
