June 24, 2005

Thailand to increase anti-bird flu funding by tenfold

The Thai government has announced that it would budget a total of over THB1 billion for controlling bird flu, representing an eightfold to tenfold increase in funding for each province.  This decision was made amid concerns that the virus might mutate into human influenza.

So far, no indications of a mutation in the H5N1 bird flu virus has been reported even though about 2,000-3,000 people in Thailand contract the human influenza virus each month.

135,000 poultry workers would be injected with the human flu vaccine and reserves of 85,000 doses would be prepared, according to the government. 

Surgical masks, diagnostic kits and the anti-flu drug, Tamiflu, would also be provided to public health officials nationwide.