HANOI, Vietnam –  Vietnam has confirmed its first human death from bird flu in more than a year, though it is not related to an outbreak of a new strain in China.
Health official Doan Tan Buu said Tuesday that a 4-year-old boy died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu on April 4 after being hospitalized in southern Dong Thap province.
Buu said the boy developed fever and other symptoms on March 23 after his family slaughtered a chicken bought in a village where tests later confirmed an outbreak among poultry.
Vietnam’s last human bird flu death was reported in February last year.
Vietnam has not reported any trace of the H7N9 virus, a new bird flu strain that has killed seven in neighboring China since February.