China reports its eighth bird flu death as well as the 24th case of H7N9human infection, bringing the local poultry industry to its knees. In Vietnam, the original strain of the virus makes a comeback with the death of a 4-yar-old child. In Cambodia, the authorities are unable to cope with eight deaths in month. "There are some missing pieces in the puzzle," FAO official says.

Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The avian flu is back to haunt China, Vietnam and Cambodia. As the number of H7N9 infected people jumps in China, the original strain (H5N1) is also killing again. In Vietnam, a 4-year-old child is dead; eight more people also died in Cambodia. The net effect has been to bring the poultry industry in Asia to the verge of collapse.

A few hours ago, health authorities in China reported that a man died from the virus in Jiangsu Province after a brief stay in hospital. Two other men, 85 and 45, also from Jiangsu, are said to be in critical conditions.

The overall number of human H7N9 infections in China now stands at 24, 11 of them in Shanghai, eight in Jiangsu, three in Zhejiang, and two in Anhui. Five of the eight who died were from Shanghai, two from Zhejiang.

In view of the situation, the World Health Organisation is urging calm, saying that the new strain is not transmitted from person to person, but only through contact with birds.

This has been devastating for the local poultry industry. "The impact is extremely big. It's really a devastating blow to the market," said Qiu Baoqin, vice-secretary general of China's National Poultry Industry Association. Although he could not quantify the losses, poultry prices have plunged.

China produced more than 18 million tonnes of poultry last year, accounting for over 20 per cent of its meat output. Considering past food scandals and the present crisis, the sector could collapse as consumer stay away from poultry.

The situation in Vietnam also seems to be getting worse. "A test result confirmed the four-year-old boy was infected with H5N1," said a staff member at a healthcare centre in Vietnam's southern province of Dong Thap. It was Vietnam's first H5N1 fatality since early last year.

Several people have also died in Cambodia, and the government seems unable to cope with it.

The current outbreak accounts for eight of Cambodia's 27 human H5N1-related deaths since the virus appeared in 2005 following a spate of deaths elsewhere in Asia.

"There are some missing pieces in the puzzle and that's why we are looking to see how this can be improved," an animal expert at the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation in Cambodia said.

• china
• vietnam
• cambodia
• bird
• flu
• poultry