December 14, 2004
Thailand's Wild Bird Population May Be Infected with Bird Flu
A recent survey of wild birds in central Thailand had detected six species infected with bird flu.
The results came from a random sampling of more than a thousand migratory and indigenous birds in four central provinces where infected poultry had previously been discovered.
According to the head of Avian Influenza Operations Center, Dr. Charal Trinvuthipong, while the source of the latest infection remained unknown, it would be the subject of further close study.
The bird samples were collected in the provinces of Nakhon Sawan, Lop Buri, Chachoengsao and Saraburi.
Dr. Charal sought to allay public fears about the possible transmission of the virus from birds to humans. "It has not been concluded yet that the avian flu virus can be transferred from birds to human," he said.
The infected local species were identified as the Little Cormorant, Asian Openbill, Scaly-breasted Munia (Spotted Munia), Red Turtle-Dove, Black Drongo and pigeon.
Dr.Charal would propose more extensive survey, with a random sampling of 6,000 specimens of each kind of bird.
Meanwhile, the Livestock Development Department has announced that as of December 9, 71 areas in 19 provinces have reported cases of the virus, with new outbreaks in the southern provinces of Pattani and Narathiwat due to infected backyard chickens.
Thailand's poultry export industry, the fourth largest in the world, had lost up to 80 billion baht (two billion dollars) in revenue since the start of the outbreak in late 2003, representing a 1.2 percent loss in national earnings, according to the government.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) last month warned an influenza pandemic -- most likely originating from a mutated strain of bird flu -- was inevitable and would likely affect every country leaving millions dead and making more than a quarter of the world's 6.4 billion people ill.
The WHO said such a pandemic could begin in the "next week or the next years".
