Man who survived bird flu after it killed his brother says his ‘whole skull was throbbing'

Daily Mail​

30-04-2025

A middle-aged man who survived bird flu has revealed the horrific symptoms of the infection which killed his brother.
The virus, also known as H5N1, is spreading across the U.S. and global health chiefs on Tuesday warned of an impending pandemic.
The present outbreak which began in 2022 has affected hundreds of millions of birds on farms across all 50 states and more than 1,000 dairy cow herds.
There have been 70 human cases in the U.S., including one confirmed death, although these victims are thought to have caught the virus from animals.
Experts also expressed concern after the world's first case of bird flu in sheep was detected on a farm in England last month.
But one victim who survived bird flu has spoken about the possibility that, as the virus continues to spread, that it could also transmit between people.
Nguyen Thanh Hung, from Hanoi, contracted the virus during a bird flu outbreak that swept Southeast Asia in 2005, infecting 44 people and killing 32.
The car salesman with a passion for long-distance running fell ill aged 42 after nursing his sick brother in hospital.
His ordeal began when he attended the funeral of his brother's son, and the family sat down to a meal of raw duck's blood soup, which is a local delicacy.
Two days later, his brother developed a headache and breathing problems, and was taken to hospital.
Hung rushed to his bedside, and stayed with him for the following five days as his condition steadily worsened.
Struggling to breathe, he was put into intensive care, and given oxygen. But his brother kept on removing the oxygen mask, forcing Hung to lean across his body to replace it.
He said: 'I was about 1ft from his face.'
Days after Hung's brother died he also began suffering symptoms.
X-rays revealed 'an ominous white shadow' on his lung and, when his temperature soared, he was admitted to the same hospital his brother died in.
'My whole skull was throbbing. I felt like I was going colorblind and the walls were pressing in on me.'
Lab tests then confirmed he had contracted H5N1. He recalled: 'I was quite scared at first, but by then I was starting to feel better.
'The fever and pain were over and I thought to myself, 'I'm through the worst'.
Despite this, it was another ten days before Hung was well enough to be discharged.
It is unclear exactly how he picked up the virus. It could have been the raw duck blood soup, but Hung insisted he barely touched it.
More worrying is the possibility that he picked it up while nursing his brother in hospital, as it would provide proof the infection can transmit from human to human.
There is currently no evidence the disease is spreading between people.
However experts have recently warned that the virus could be mutating to become more transmissible to humans.
Professor Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser at UKHSA, said: 'The risk of avian flu to the general public remains very low despite this case.
'We have robust systems in place to detect cases early and take necessary action, as we know that spillover infections from birds to humans may occur.
'Currently there is no evidence of onwards transmission. People are reminded not to touch sick or dead birds and it's important that they follow Defra advice about reporting any suspected avian influenza cases.'