Viet Nam – Underreporting A(H5N1) cases?



Two new cases of A(H5N1) have just been announced in Cambodia [1], meanwhile it seems that Viet Nam is not reporting A(H5N1) cases as required by IHR.  In a current article in Emerging Infectious Diseases, researchers report on an asymptomatic subclinical A(H5N1) case from Viet Nam from 2011 [2].  This case was discovered by contact tracing of family members of a 40-year-old man who was apparently infected with A(H5N1) and died. While the article discusses the subclinical case, few details about the 2011 index case-patient are presented in the article nor is there a reference.  A review of the World Health Organization (WHO) cumulative table of A(H5N1) cases [3] shows that Viet Nam did not report any A(H5N1) cases to WHO in 2011.  Was the index case-patient ever reported to WHO?


[1] 15th and 16th New Human Cases of Avian Influenza H5N1 in Cambodia in 2013

[2] Subclinical Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Infection in Human, Vietnam 

[3]Cumulative number of confirmed human cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) reported to WHO

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