A 54-year-old man from Vietnam's southern Vinh Long province with bird flu symptoms died several hours after being hospitalized, local newspaper Youth reported Tuesday.

The man from Mang Thit district was admitted to the Tropical Disease Hospital in southern Ho Chi Minh City on Nov. 11 when he had fever, exhaustion, and breathing difficulties. His specimens are being tested for bird flu viruses.

The victim's family raised ducks which died 10 days before he fell ill, said the report.

On Nov. 21, the People's Committee of northern Quang Ninh province announced bird flu outbreaks in fowls in Dong Trieu district. Earlier, northern Thai Nguyen province declared an outbreak in Phu Luong district.

A total of 19 localities nationwide have detected poultry deaths since Oct. 1. Recent tests have showed that fowls in southern Dong Thap province are not infected with bird flu viruses.

Capital Hanoi and southern Bac Lieu province have met criteria for announcing an end to bird flu outbreaks (detecting no new affected spots for at least three weeks). Therefore, the current number of bird flu-hit localities, all in the northern and central regions, is 16.

According to the Department of Animal Health under Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Vietnam will establish an online reporting system, under which veterinary bureaus in localities nationwide will access the Internet-based system to make and access updated reports about bird flu situations.

The department said localities nationwide have, since Oct. 1, culled over 1 million fowls. The fowls were not only infected ones but also healthy ones, because Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and central Da Nang city have decided to stop raising poultry in their inner areas this month.

Vietnam has detected 65 human cases of bird flu infections, including 22 fatalities, in 25 cities and provinces since December 2004, the country's Health Ministry announced on Nov. 21, noting that the accumulated numbers of bird flu infections and fatalities since December 2003 are 92 and 42 respectively.

Previous outbreaks starting in December 2003 killed and led to the forced culling of some 46.6 million fowls in Vietnam, causing losses of 3.5 trillion VND (221.5 million dollars), according to the agriculture ministry.

Source: Xinhua