November 8, 2004

 

 

6 Provinces in Thailand Cleared of Bird Flu

 

6 provinces in Thailand have been successfully eliminated of bird flu, with no new cases of the disease reported in the provinces over the past few weeks, according to a chief official on bird flu control.

 

Dr. Charal Trinvuthipong, the director of the government's command centre on bird flu, stated that the 6 provinces were found to have been bird-flu free areas after the centre's thorough inspections, or 'x-ray', during the October 1 - 31 period.

 

These areas comprise Bangkok, the country's northeastern provinces of Loei and Nong Khai, the northern province of Chiang Rai, as well as the southern provinces of Songkhla and Narathiwat.

 

However, Dr. Charal said 11 provinces were found to have become new bird flu-ridden areas.

 

They include the eastern provinces of Chantaburi and Trat, the northeastern provinces of Buri Ram, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, the central province of Samut Sakhon, the northwestern province of Tak, and the southern provinces of Petchburi and Pattani.

 

Through the inspections, the authorities also detected more areas affected by bird flu in 10 provinces that have already been wrecked by bird flu.

 

These locations are the central provinces of Ayutthaya (from 2 to 23 areas), Suphanburi (from 24 to 44 areas), Ang Thong (from 5 to 27) and Nakhon Pathom (from 1 to 11), the northeastern provinces of Chaiyaphum (from 3 to 10), Nakhon Ratchasima (from 1 to 20), the northern provinces of Petchabun (from 5 to 21), Kampaengpetch (from 7 to 27), Nakhon Sawan (from 13 to 31), Phichit (from 1 to 19).

 

Dr. Charal said that the newly-found bird flu areas in the 10 provinces did not mean that the bird flu outbreak had spread. Rather, it meant that the 'x-ray' had led to the new finding which people in the areas were still unaware of.

 

Reduced bird flu-ridden areas were also detected in nine provinces, according to Dr. Charal.

 

They include Nonthaburi and Pathum Thani Provinces on the outskirts of Bangkok, the central provinces of Lopburi and Saraburi, the eastern provinces of Chacherngsao and Prachinburi, the northeastern provinces of Khon Kaen and Uttaradit, and the lower northern province of UThai Thani.