August 9, 2006

Thailand declares 29 provinces bird flu emergency zones

Thailand's government has declared 29 provinces bird flu emergency zones, a move that will allow it to more easily make payments to farmers whose birds are culled.

The move came in the wake of several new outbreaks of the virus among poultry and two human fatalities--the first in more than eight months.

Provincial governors and agriculture, livestock and health volunteers will go to farms and households in the 29 provinces this week "to look for anyone with respiratory illness, register poultry, spray anti-bacterial chemicals in the area where poultry are raised and to spread information" about bird flu, said government spokesman Suraphong Suebwonglee.

By declaring the provinces disaster zones, the government is allowed to dip into a special budget to compensate farmers whose birds are culled as a precautionary measure to try to halt the spread of any outbreaks.