January 30, 2004

 

 

Bird Flu Spreads To 29 Thai Provinces

 

Six more provinces in Thailand were put on the list of bird flu quarantine zones yesterday, bringing the total number of affected provinces to 29.

 

The six provinces are Nan, Chiang Rai, Si Sa Ket, Surin, Nakhon Phanom and Prachin Buri.

 

Suphan Buri and Kanchanaburi have been removed from the list.

Government spokesman Jakrapob Penkair said four districts of Suphan Buri and Kanchanaburi were now deemed high-risk zones, where checks for bird flu would continue but where culling of poultry would stop.

Mr Jakrapob said the two provinces were no longer under quarantine as no more poultry had died since the massive cull last week.

"Experts feel relieved. The absence of new chicken deaths indicates the disease can be contained," he said.

Containment would be considered complete if no new poultry deaths were reported in the next 21 days, he said.

The government spokesman also said the European Union and the World Health Organisation agreed that the government's containment measures met international standards.

Although bird flu was detected in six new provinces, infection rates were low.

Authorities would work out containment measures for Bangkok, where bird flu was detected in Bung Kum and Chatuchak districts.

No farms or owners of rare birds would be given special privileges. Bird vendors at Chatuchak market, Safari World zoo and amusement parks have opposed the cull.

Charan Trinwuthipong, chief of the Disease Control Department, said the number of confirmed bird flu cases among humans was steady at three. Two had died and the number of people suspected to have it stood at 10.

About 100 chicken farmers and egg traders, meanwhile, petitioned Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak for help as their sales suffered a slump.

Surachet Pipatsattayanuwong, from Nakhon Nayok, said people were reluctant to eat chicken meat and eggs, even if they came from closed farms.

Mr Surachet said his farm produced 20 million eggs a day but could sell only two million of them. He now had 40 million eggs left in stock.

He asked the government to buy those eggs.

Mr Surachet said eggs were safe for consumption if they were well-cooked but if consumers still shunned them farmers would soon go bankrupt.

"If that happens, where can people find chickens and eggs to eat?" he said.

Farmers and traders said the ban on egg transport was too strict and eggs would rot if they did not reach consumers in seven days.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra dismissed reports he would sack Agriculture Minister Somsak Thepsuthin and Livestock Department chief Yukhon Limlaemthong for not doing enough to prevent the spread of bird flu.

Mr Thaksin said his priority now was to bring the disease under complete control.

"Don't talk about people now. We can do something with them later," he said.