Bird flu symptoms: Student, 21, dies of strain already in UK days after noticing new cough as experts fear of pandemic

A 21-year-old student in Vietnam has died of bird flu days after noticing a new cough. The student tested positive for the virus which has already been found in the UK and the US.

He was found to have the highly pathogenic avian influenza strain H5N1. Fears are mounting that the bird flu pandemic is “dangerously close” after a person in the US caught the disease from a cow suggesting the strain H5N1 is becoming better at spreading.

While the virus typically only affects birds, it can be transmitted to mammals, including humans. Just one month before he fell ill, the young man had gone wild bird trapping, however, investigations found no evidence of sick or dead birds in the area he visited.

The man developed a cough and fever on March 11 and tried to self-medicate at home, according to the country's Department of Preventive Medicine. A week later, he showed up at hospital, where he was diagnosed with pneumonia and died shortly afterwards.

The health officials wrote in a translated statement: "Due to the serious progression of the disease, the patient died on March 23.” The officials added that close contacts of the student are having their health "monitored daily” and “to date, no new cases have been detected”.

It comes as Vietnam recorded its first human case of H9 avian flu in a 37-year-old man. The strain is considered to be less likely to cause severe illness or lead to death than the H5N1 strain but the man who fell unwell on 6 March was hospitalised just a week after his symptoms emerged.

Some 887 people have been infected with H5N1 in the past 20 years - and over half (462) of these died. There is still no evidence that bird flu can be transmitted between people, however, experts fear that the current spread could give the virus more opportunities to mutate allowing the strain to jump between humans.

Over the last few months, the virus has been detected in lots of animals, including penguins, a polar bear, foxes - and more recently, cows. Dr Suresh Kuchipudi, a bird flu researcher in Pittsburgh, told The Mail Online: "This virus [has been] on the top of the pandemic list for many, many years and probably decades. And now we are getting dangerously close to this virus potentially causing a pandemic.”

In the UK there is no human bird flu jab but the government is said to be drawing up plans to stockpile regular flu vaccine in case of a pandemic. The disease is regarded as a top threat for the next global health emergency and there have been five confirmed cases of bird flu in the UK since 2022. In government guidance issued last month, Brits were advised to stay at least two meters away from wild birds because of bird flu fears.

According to the NHS, main symptoms of bird flu can appear very quickly and include a very high temperature or feeling hot or shivery, aching muscles, headache, and a cough or shortness of breath. Other early symptoms may include diarrhoea, sickness, stomach pain, chest pain, bleeding from the nose and gums and conjunctivitis.