FIVE SUSPECTED HUMAN BIRD FLU CASES IN SEOUL; HOSPITALS ON ALERT

VIETNAM NEWS AGENCY:

The Republic of Korea health officials reported on May 7 at least five suspected human cases of bird flu in the Seoul capital, according to local the RoK’s Yonhap news agency.

The five people have had bird-flu like symptoms of fever and coughing since May 6, the agency said. Blood tests are underway to find out whether they are positive to the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu.

The RoK’s Ministry of Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries announced earlier on the same day that the highly virulent H5N1 strain had been found in dead chickens from a bird vivarium located at the Gwangjin ward office in eastern Seoul.

XINHUA:

Hospitals in Seoul were put on alert for bird flu after health officials issued emergency warnings to all hospitals in the capital city to watch out possible bird flu symptoms, the Korea Herald reported on Thursday.

The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention has urged medical institutes in the capital to make immediate reports of any patients who have symptoms of the H5 avian influenza virus, such as a high fever, severe coughing, a sore throat and difficulty in breathing, the daily newspaper said.

"Detailed examinations of patients will be conducted and cooperation measures between government branches will be strengthened," Lee Jong-ku, head of the KCDCP said Wednesday.

"We will also distribute the antiviral drug Tamiflu to regional offices and make efforts to secure the necessary budget to deal with the matter," he said.

Blood tests will be done on patients who may have been infected by the virus, the official said.

The measures came after the government confirmed an outbreak of deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in eastern Seoul on Monday. It is the first time that bird flu has been discovered in the capital city.

THIS IS BAD NEWS:

• SEOUL IS A HUGE CITY, ONE OF THE MOST POPULATED IN THE WORD; THE METROPOLITAN AREA HAS 23 MILLION PEOPLE.
• AN OUTBREAK OF H2H BIRD FLU WOULD BE DISASTROUS.
• STAY TUNED...