Vietnam Braces For Bird Flu And Type B Flu

Regarding Vietnam Tamiflu production, scientists from the Institute of Science and Technology said research continues on producing it from the star anise plant (Illicium verum) from which oseltarnivir, the active ingredient in Tamiflu, can be extracted.

The Health Ministry has sent a proposal to government to purchase the plant from border provinces as a raw-material source to produce the drug, which is the only prescription known to be effective on bird flu patients.

Deputy Health Minister Trinh Quan Huan also said Monday samples from two suspected bird flu fatalities in southern provinces proved to be H5N1-negative.

However, Vietnam still faces a high risk of bird flu recurrence, with neighboring Laos and Thailand dealing with their own outbreaks at present.

In addition, cool weather in the coming winter months makes for favorable conditions for the virus to spread.

More importantly, recent epidemiological surveys revealed type-B flu virus could combine with type-A H5N1 flu virus, causing human-to-human transmission.

According to the Central Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, within the first six months this year, patients infected by type-B flu virus have increased five-fold over the same period last year.