By WHO
Situation at a glance
On 19 August 2024, the Viet Nam National Focal Point (NFP) for International Health Regulations (IHR) notified the World Health Organization (WHO) of a laboratory-confirmed human case of infection with swine-origin influenza A(H1N1) variant (v) virus, in the province of Son La, a northern mountainous province in Viet Nam bordering the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. This is the first-ever reported human infection caused by influenza A(H1N1)v virus in Viet Nam. The source of exposure to the virus is currently unknown. According to the International Health Regulations (IHR) 2005, a human infection caused by a novel influenza A virus subtype is an event that has the potential for high public health impact and must be notified to WHO. Based on the currently available information, WHO assesses the current risk to the general population posed by this virus as low. WHO continues to stress the importance of global surveillance to detect virological, epidemiological and clinical changes associated with circulating influenza viruses that may affect human (or animal) health, and timely virus sharing for risk assessment.