January 31, 2005

Thailand announced bird flu in 2 more provinces

A strain of bird flu that can be deadly to humans has been detected in two more Thai provinces, livestock officials said Monday, bringing to six the number of provinces affected by the disease.

The H5N1 virus was detected in locally bred chickens in the northern provinces of Nakhon Sawan and Uttaradit last week, the livestock department said in a statement.

An outbreak was confirmed on January 24 in the Pichai district of Uttaradit, where 78 chickens died of the flu and 22 others were culled to prevent the disease from spreading, the department said.

Another outbreak was confirmed January 28 in Nakhon Sawan's Krok Phra district, where 37 chickens died.

Both areas have been placed under 21-day surveillance.

Twelve people have died in Thailand from the virus that has swept Asia since December 2003 while the same number of human fatalities were found in nearby Vietnam during the last month.

Thailand has been under high alert for bird flu since the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus was detected in chickens and fighting cocks in the provinces of Phitsanulok, Rayong, and Nakhon Pathom.

The disease was also detected in pigeons in the central Thai province of Uthai Thani, where more than 400 pigeons were culled.

Thailand's cabinet last week endorsed 4.8-billion-baht (124.7-million-dollar) scheme to fight bird flu.