New A/H1N1 Outbreak Found in Northern Vietnam

An A/H1N1 outbreak has occurred at a primary school in Vietnam’s northern province of Bac Kan’s Na Ri district, the Ministry of Health said at a meeting on swine flu prevention in Hanoi Jan. 27. Deputy Head of the ministry’s Preventive Health and Environment Department Vu Sinh Nam told the meeting that a total of 144 students were affected with the deadly virus. The students had high temperatures, coughing, sore throats and muscular pain. All were treated at home under strict scrutiny by local doctors, Nam noted, adding that most of the infected cases have recovered from the illness. Earlier, the A/H1N1 outbreak has hit Pha Le Primary School in the northern port city of Haiphong’s Thuy Nguyen district, affecting 72 students. Vietnam has so far confirmed 11,166 cases of A/H1N1 infections, including 56 deaths, the Ministry of Health reported. The ministry has asked local residents to be highly vigilant against the epidemic as the A/H1N1 virus is forecast to emerge strongly during the winter-spring season. Vietnam had spent nearly VND1 trillion ($54 million) on A/H1N1 prevention activities last year.