September 28, 2010

Thailand worries over H5N1 avian flu's probable recurrence

According to local news, experts are warning that the deadly H5N1 strain of avian influenza could re-emerge in Thailand even though there has been little sign of it for years.

Pilaipan Puthavathana, a virologist at Siriraj Hospital's department of microbiology said that migratory birds could possibly transmit avian influenza from animal to human without stringent disease surveillance.

"Nobody dares to say the virus has been wiped out here as long as our neighbouring countries continue to report bird flu cases," she stated in a summary of a three-year follow up on avian flu surveillance from animals to humans in Thailand.

The country has not had a bird flu case in humans since July 2006. A total of 27 cases were confirmed with 17 deaths reported during a series of bird flu outbreaks from 2004 to 2006.

The initial epidemiological investigations showed there were sick and dead poultry in surrounding areas. The patients' families slaughtered the sick poultry to eat.

"Egypt was also still reporting bird flu outbreaks, although the mortality rate was less than in the Southeast Asian region," she said.