Joint press statement by the Ministry of Health of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic and the Lao PDR office of the World Health Organization
Vientiane, Laos, 27 February 2007 —Following information from the Bureau of Epidemiology, Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Thailand, dated 27 February 2007, the Ministry of Health of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic has announced the country’s first human case of H5N1 avian influenza. The case is a 15-year-old girl living in a suburb of the capital, Vientiane, where an outbreak of H5N1 in poultry was confirmed on 7 February.
The Lao Ministry of Health reported that the girl developed influenza-like symptoms on 10 February. She was hospitalised in Vientiane with fever and respiratory symptoms on 15 February. On 17 February her parents transferred her to a private hospital in Nongkai, Thailand. On 20 February she was transferred to Nongkai public hospital, where she remains in a stable condition.
Clinical specimens were taken from the patient on 20 and 21 February by Lao epidemiologists and Thai clinicians. The specimens tested positive for H5N1 in two laboratories in Thailand according to WHO procedures, and the results were informally reported to the Lao Ministry of Health by fax on 24 February. The Lao Ministry of Health informed WHO the same day. The Thai laboratories are conducting further analysis. The Lao Ministry of Health is sending samples from the girl to a WHO Collaborating Centre for examination.
On 24 and 25 February a joint team composed of officials of the Ministries of Health of the Lao PDR and Thailand, along with WHO officials, visited the girl’s village and the districts earlier affected by poultry outbreaks. Close contacts of the girl have been monitored daily. Close adult contacts in the girl’s household, as well as staff in contact with her at the hospitals where she was treated, have received oseltamivir as post-exposure prophylaxis. None of the contacts has shown signs of infection.
The girl’s exposure to sick poultry is unclear as she is undergoing intubation and cannot be interviewed.
Under the leadership of the National Committee on Communicable Disease Control, main-line ministries and the National Avian and Human Influenza Coordination Office have been undertaking a number of measures such as control of poultry outbreaks, intensive surveillance of human illness and community awareness campaigns, in collaboration with the UN country team and various partners.
WHO has congratulated the Government of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic for its efficient response to the country’s first human case and for the prompt way in which it was reported to WHO. The World Health Organization also commended the Thai Government for the exemplary cross-border collaboration it displayed.
WHO has concluded that the incident does not indicate significantly changed overall risk for pandemic influenza at this time. The WHO Pandemic Alert Level remains at phase 3.