August 12, 2004

Study Of Yeast As Bird Flu Treatment In Thailand

Thailand's Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Somsak Thepsuthin yesterday revealed that he had ordered the Department of Livestock Development to study the feasibility of using animal feed made from yeast as a means of boosting immunity to the avian flu virus.

Mr. Somsak said that a foreign animal feed company had previously proposed the animal feed to the government. But the feed would not be introduced in Thailand until Thai researchers cleared up doubts over the efficacy of the feed as a means of preventing avian flu.

The Department of Livestock Development has also been asked to look into the possibility of producing animal feed from longan stones.

Although the latest outbreak of avian flu among Thai poultry flocks is not as severe as the epidemic which hit Thai chicken farms at the beginning of the year, the government has admitted that exports Thai poultry products will be affected.