VIETNAM: A 69-year-old Vietnamese man has become the 14th person known to have died from bird flu this year.
Yesterday's announcement came days after world health officials warned that the world was overdue a flu pandemic and urged western countries to do more to eradicate bird flu.
The latest death occurred in Vietnam's northern Thai Binh province last Wednesday. Pham Van Diu, director of the provincial Preventive Medicine Centre, said the man tested positive for H5N1, the virus commonly known as avian influenza, or bird flu.
Thirteen Vietnamese and one Cambodian have died from it since December 30th last year. About 1.5 million poultry have been culled this year in Vietnam to try to contain the outbreak.
Experts say it is endemic in poultry in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia. They have warned that the longer the virus remains in the environment the greater the chance it will mutate into a highly infectious form that can be passed among humans. Should that happen, it could kill millions, they say.