January 26, 2004

 

 

Thailand Investigates If Migratory Birds Responsible For Bird Flu Spread

 

Thailand is investigating the possibility of migratory birds spreading avian flu across the region.

 

Among the possible culprits are migratory birds that somehow might have picked up the disease and passed it onto chickens as they make stops across the region.

 

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Monday there's been bird and chicken deaths on the outskirts of Bangkok, but the cause isn't yet clear.

 

"At this point, the health and agriculture ministries are looking into it, but I don't know if it's bird flu or not," Thaksin told reporters at Government House.

 

Last week, one farmer, Chavalit Pholchamroon, told The Associated Press that chickens owned by a friend in the province of Chachoengsao started dropping dead after coming into close contact with storks that he said migrate from Siberia every year.

 

The birds, which arrived in November, feed in rice fields and wetlands, some located near chicken farms.

 

Avian flu is devastating chicken farms in seven Asian countries - Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea

 

Millions of chickens may have been exposed and mass slaughters are now taking place.

So far, seven humans are known to have died from the virus - one in Thailand and six in Vietnam.

 

Bangkok's The Nation newspaper reported that large numbers of migrating birds and waterfowl have been found dead in many parts of Thailand.

 

The report said that other birds had died, including pigeons in Bangkok and partridges in Prachuab Khiri Khan province, 230 kilometers southwest of the capital.

 

When asked about the death of the birds, Agriculture Minister Somsak Thepsutin said test results from dead bird samples weren't yet available.