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In this photo taken Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012, a hale condition worker wearing protective gear …

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In this photo taken without ceasing Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012, Nguyen Quang Duong, left, the possessor …

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In this photo taken Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012, ducks walk narrow an area where a suspected …

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In this photo taken without ceasing Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012, a soundness worker wearing a protective …

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Thought fowl flu was gone? Recent human deaths in Asia and Egypt are a reminder that the H5N1 poison is still alive and dangerous, and Vietnam is grappling through a new strain that has outsmarted vaccines used to screen poultry flocks.

Ten people have died in Cambodia, Indonesia, Egypt, China and Vietnam because December during the prime-time flu imbue when the virus typically flares in poultry.

"We are worried, and we direction be very cautious," said To Long Thanh, monitor of Vietnam's Center for Animal Health Diagnostics in Vietnam.

The H5N1 poison has killed 345 people worldwide because that 2003, when it rampaged across large swaths of Asia decimating poultry stocks before later surfacing in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Europe. The numerate of poultry outbreaks has greatly diminished considering then, but the virus remains entrenched in different countries and continues to surface sporadically, resulting in 20 to 30 human deaths globally in modern years.

Bird flu remains hard toward people to catch, with most canaille sickened after being in close junction with infected poultry, but experts regard long feared it could spark a pandemic granting that it mutates into a form that spreads easily amid people.

The fresh wave of cases comes amongst a controversy involving scientists who created unaccustomed lab-only versions of the venom that spread more easily among animals, hoping to victory understand it. After a loud commotion over whether publishing the research would express the recipe for a bioweapon into the hands of terrorists, the researchers take agreed to temporarily halt their toil.

They are set to wrap up a couple-day meeting on the issue Friday with international experts at the World Health Organization in Geneva.

After the assembly, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told The Associated Press the be in action would not be published until a replete discussion could be held about the pair the risks and benefits of the examination and risks of the virus itself. He before-mentioned the consensus among experts voiced ~ dint of. a lead researcher was that the operate should be published eventually since in that place was only a small chance the poison could be used as a bioweapon.

Vietnam has protracted struggled to control the virus, excepting it has made progress — going 21 months face to face with reporting its two most recent deaths in the gone by month. It has also experienced a blow up of poultry outbreaks in 11 provinces nationwide outer the same period. Officials have issued new warnings for farmers to beef up direction, especially since they can no longer rely on the latest poultry vaccine in the ~ern and central areas where it is unsettled or useless against a new percolate that has emerged in the quarter.

"We have to increase biosecurity," uttered Thanh, the animal diagnostics director.

The newly come strain had earlier been identified in China and was furthermore recently found in Bangladesh and Nepal, in what place it likely spread via wild birds, declared Jan Slingenbergh, a senior animal soundness officer at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome.

Viruses are constantly mutating and require new vaccines to protect against defilement — the same reason new human seasonal flu shots are developed either year. A new vaccine is in the works, and scientists own stressed that the new strain has not changed in a single one way that suggests the virus is meet more dangerous.

The U.N. cultivation agency warned of a possible resurgence in fowl of the air flu outbreaks after the new press was identified, potentially increasing risk to humans. However, Vietnam's brace recent deaths occurred in the southern Mekong Delta, where the vaccine odds and ends effective. WHO stressed it is moreover normal to see a spike in cases and domestic fowls outbreaks during this time of year.

"WHO has eternally said that as long as the virus is entrenched in poultry, which it is, there continues to be the risk of fowl of the air-to-human transmission," spokesman Hartl before-mentioned in Geneva. "That risk means that you cannot presage exactly if the transmission will chance and if it will be regular, but there is the risk for a like rea~n that's why it's not unexpected to see cases."

Vietnam buys most of its poultry vaccine from China, that has continued with its robust vaccination campaign of some 15 billion doses despite the emergence of the new strain. Researchers in that place have developed a new version that works to counterbalance the strain, but it's unclear whenever it might be ready for disposition, said Keith Hamilton, an animal influenza adroit at the Paris-based World Organization of Animal Health.

"We emphasize that vaccination is a complementary tool," he said. "It has to be used in apparent meeting with other control measures — biosecurity up~ farms, early detection is essential, such is a rapid response to have capacity for and eliminate sources of disease."

But in Ha Nam calling, on the outskirts of Vietnam's first in importance, Hanoi, animal health officials are without hope to contain a poultry outbreak that be conformable to last week. They have ordered 1 the masses doses of vaccine, hoping it exercise volition provide at least some protection.

"I wish to accept an effective vaccine against bird flu for the re~on that soon as possible, so I be able to go on raising ducks," said cultivator Nguyen Van Duong, whose entire company was slaughtered after the virus was detected.

"I am devastated at loss my investment on the ducks, boundary we will do anything to drudge with the authorities to stop it from spreading. The be unexhausted thing we want is an broil to happen again."

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Follow Asia-Pacific Medical Writer Margie Mason at http://www.chirrup.com/margiemasonap

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