Laos suspects first case of human bird flu

Bangkok: A 15-year-old girl is suspected to be the first human case of bird flu in Laos, official media said on Monday.

Vientiane Times quoted Health Minister Ponmek Dalalay as saying that the girl went down with headaches and aching limbs.

She was moved to a hospital in Thailand where initial analysis confirmed she was suffering from an H5 virus. It is not clear if she had the deadly bird flu strain.

Bird flu first broke out in Laos in 2004 in the capital, Vientiane, and nearby provinces. Its last outbreak at a poultry farm near Vientiane was confirmed on February 16.