November 2, 2005

Thailand reports new bird flu outbreaks 

Thailand's government has reported new bird flu outbreaks in Suphanburi and Ang Thong provinces, not long after a man from Kanchanaburi province died of bird flu.

Four locally bred chickens in Sam Chuk district, Supanburi, recently died of the disease. Supanburi is 100 kilometres north-west of Bangkok.

Meanwhile, chickens in Chai Yo district, Ang Thong, were also confirmed to be infected, Thai officials said. Ang Thong is about 105 kilometres north of the Thai capital.

So far, the H5N1 virus has infected birds in seven Thai provinces including the latest two, the government said.

22 out of Thailand's 76 provinces were also under surveillance for bird flu.

Meanwhile, health authorities were monitoring five relatives, the husband and employer of a 50-year-old woman diagnosed recently with bird flu. She reportedly caught the virus while visiting her husband in Nonthaburi province near Bangkok. However, a health official said those under surveillance have not shown any symptoms so far.

Thawat Sunthrajarn, Chief of Disease Control, said the woman caught the virus when she swept up chicken excrement in her husband's backyard. She fell ill in late October at the same time she learnt all 30 of her husband's chickens died mysteriously, Sunthrajarn said.