International experts in Vietnam to study virus

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International experts in Vietnam to study virus

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1119569291056_114978491/?hub=Health


Canadian Press

Updated: Thu. Jun. 23 2005 7:20 PM ET

A team of international influenza experts is in Hanoi, at the invitation of the Vietnamese government, to investigate worrisome signs the avian flu virus known as H5N1 may be adapting in ways that may make it more likely to spark an influenza pandemic, the World Health Organization has confirmed.

The group of about a half-dozen virologists and epidemiologists from the United States, Britain, Japan and Hong Kong will be following up on concerns raised at a special WHO avian flu summit held last month in Manila, spokespersons for the organization said Thursday.

The team will also be analysing some potentially disturbing but hard-to-assess test results that could suggest a significant number of additional human infections have occurred but went undetected.

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1. Phase 6 Bird Flu Pandemic

This is the data that has been withheld since April. There were so many bird flu positives in people that urgent meetings were called to discuss how to break the news.

This story shows that the positives were not disclosed because the lab confirmation was considered "research".

Looks like phase 6 in northern and central Vietnam.

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2. Background on 1000 Tests in Vietnam and US

Western blot bombshell at

http://news.google.com/news?q=bird%20flu%20western&hl=en&lr=&sa=N&tab=wn

[pandemic_1918]

3. More Wire Stories in Phase 6 Confirmation

This morning there are AP and Reuters stories in International team going to Vietnam. They are going to confirm phase 6 pandemic

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&lr=&tab=wn&ie=UTF-8&q=international+human+transmission+H5N1