November 15, 2004

Thailand Claims Bird Flu Under Control

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said he was confident that avian influenza in Thailand could come under control soon, expressing his satisfaction with cooperation by concerned health officials in containing the disease.

"A sharp improvement on controlling the disease has been seen, but concerned health authorities must work even harder before the arrival of the winter season this year", Mr. Thaksin said.

Meanwhile, Dr. Charal Trinvuthipong, the director of the government's command centre on bird flu, told journalists that concerned government units had conducted tests on migrant birds which had escaped the cold weather elsewhere to Thailand, and had searched for the H5N1 bird flu virus strain in them, but nothing was found so far.

He said health volunteers are still taking positions in every village, with each volunteer being responsible for between 10-20 households.

Officials of the command center are scheduled to hold a meeting on Monday at the Government House, with Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisang presiding over the session, Dr. Charal said.

Mr. Chaturon chairs the national committee overseeing the overall bird flu situations in the kingdom.