Down to Earth Second such case in Vietnam since 2004; the virus has impacted the central nervous system as against the known respiratory tract. Vietnam has reported its first case of bird flu in 2025 infecting an eight-year-old girl exhibiting encephalitis symptoms.
In December 2024, the country reported an H5 infection in an 18-year-old man belonging to Long An province who was infected after exposure to sick poultry. The person had succumbed to the infection.
According to the US-based Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy (CIDRAP), the girl is a resident of Tay Ninh province, located in south Vietnam, as per a statement issued by Ho Chi Minh City Department of Health.