The Ministry of Health said all seven positive cases come from the Cambodian provinces of Takeo and Kandal. On knowing that they had been infected with acute diarrhoea, they travelled to An Giang for treatment.

They are all being treated at An Giang’s An Phu District Hospital, said Nguyen Huy Nga, head of the Preventive Medicine and the Environment Department under the Ministry of Health.

The department has asked local medical centres to keep a close watch on these patients, contain the first outbreak and enhance the dissemination of information to help residents protect themselves from infection.

Mr Nga also said bird flu has recurred in five communes in the central province of Ha Tinh. A number of local people in affected areas had contact with sick and dead birds and showed symptoms of pneumonia.   

Provincial doctors and veterinarians were dispatched to detect suspected cases in humans early, quarantine them from the outbreak, and instruct local residents about preventive measures.

The Ministry of Health has warned that flu viruses are expected to emerge in the winter and spring, especially during the upcoming lunar New Year festival.