Bird Flu Spread Continues in Thailand
Recombinomics Commentary
January 24, 2005
>>The virus has been found in a third Thai province, after two outbreaks were detected earlier this month, Thai authorities said Monday.
The latest outbreak of the H5N1 strain of the virus this month had been detected in locally bred chickens in the western province of Nakhon Pathom, Yukol Limlamthong, director general of Livestock Development Department, told reporters.
Some 711 chickens in the district of Dontoom died of bird flu and 464 others were culled to prevent the disease from spreading, the department said in a statement.
Thailand has been under high alert for bird flu since two earlier outbreaks of the virus were detected in Rayong and Phitsanulok provinces.
Twelve people have died in Thailand from the virus that has swept Asia since December 2003.
"We are deeply concerned about human-to-human transmissions, which would be very dangerous, and it is close" to happening, Chaturon told reporters, adding the latest deaths in Vietnam had added weight to the government's concerns.<<
Bird flu in Thailand continues to expand. The reported rate is below that of Vietnam, but several weeks ago the number of reported cases was markedly lower. Last year isolates in Thailand and Vietnam were very similar, so further spread in Thailand is expected.
There also are no reported human cases in Thailand, but several of the cases in Vietnam initially were negative.
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