2004: flu explodes in Asia
The next deadly assault by the bird-flu virus was suspected on 5 January 2004, when several children in Vietnam became ill with a flu-like illness. The culprit was found to be H5N1.
By the end of January the H5N1 outbreak in poultry had exploded, with outbreaks in Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia and China.
The presence of this new virus - to which humans had no immunity - and the severity of the symptoms led the World Health Organization to activate its Pandemic Preparedness Plan.
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| Vietnam has been the worst affected country to date. Bird flu has killed more than 30 Vietnamese people. |
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