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HANOI : Vietnam has recorded its first case of Influenza A (H1N1) flu after a man tested positive for the virus, the health ministry said on Sunday.
"It is the first patient of the virus A(H1N1) in Vietnam," ministry spokesman Nguyen Huy Nga told AFP, adding that the case was "confirmed officially by our ministry this morning".
An initial test at the tropical diseases hospital in southern Ho Chi Minh City was positive, and two follow-up tests at the city's Pasteur Institute confirmed the diagnosis, Phan Van Tu, a doctor with the Institute, told AFP.
The patient, a 23-year-old man, was in a stable condition with a slight fever, Tu added.
State television reported that the patient returned home early last week from the United States via Hong Kong.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said it had been formally notified of the case.
It said the patient sought medical attention after noticing flu symptoms a day after returning from the United States. Five members of his family have been given medication and placed in isolation, while passengers on the same flight as the man are being tracked down, the WHO said.
Emergence of the virus in Vietnam was "highly likely" given the country's international travel links, Shelaye Boothey, a WHO spokeswoman, told AFP.
Vietnam has been monitoring the health of passengers arriving at its airports in a bid to detect H1N1 flu.
The virus was first detected last month in the United States and Mexico.
In its latest update, the WHO said 53 countries had reported 15,510 cases of H1N1 flu, including 99 deaths. - AFP/yb/ms
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