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BIRD FLU TACKLING THE VIRUS THREAT
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/17Aug2006_news02.php
Discovery of new strain of H5N1 prompts rethink of fowl controls
PIYAPORN WONGRUANG
<!--img--><!--/img-->The discovery of a new type of bird flu virus in Thailand has prompted officials to ponder prevention and control measures to prevent further spread of the disease.
A new type of the H5N1 strain has been confirmed in Nakhon Phanom, where over 300,000 chickens have died or been culled as a result of widespread infections, according to Yong Poovorawan, team leader of virologists monitoring changes in the virus since 2004.
The strain has a genetic character close to that of the virus in southern China, he said, adding that virologists were still unsure how it crossed the border from there into Thailand.
There are four types of the H5N1 virus in the region _ the so-called Thai-Vietnamese type, the Indonesian type, and another two types occurring in China. The Thai-Vietnamese type has plagued Thailand since official confirmation of the first outbreak in early 2004.
The virologist said the impact of the new strain on human health was so far no different from that of the Thai-Vietnamese type. But he warned officials to pay attention if they wanted to develop human vaccines which can tackle both types of the virus strain.
''We now have two types of bird flu strain in the country. The new one may not yet have any significance in terms of its health impact but it certainly has significance for our control measures, which might have to improve to cope with its emergence,'' he said.
Livestock Development Department chief Yukol Limlamthong said the agency would beef up controls on fowl movements between area zones, and he called on poultry raisers to tighten their bio-security measures.
Director of the Epidemiology Bureau Kumnuan Ungchusak said scientists needed to be aware of every bird flu type emerging here, so human vaccines could be developed.
But health officials would not strengthen bird flu control measures among humans as the present regime was already intensive, Dr Kumnuan said. Sick people found to be in close contact with ailing fowls would be listed as suspect cases, he said.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Animal Health has confirmed the success of a vaccine prototype for fowls. Director Pornchai Chamnanpood said complete vaccine production which could pave the way for commercial use would be accomplished by February next year.
Thailand is now in the fourth outbreak round, which has killed two people, one each in Phichit and Uthai Thani. Since the first round, more than 60 million fowls have been culled and 16 people have died.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/17Aug2006_news02.php
Discovery of new strain of H5N1 prompts rethink of fowl controls
PIYAPORN WONGRUANG
<!--img--><!--/img-->The discovery of a new type of bird flu virus in Thailand has prompted officials to ponder prevention and control measures to prevent further spread of the disease.
A new type of the H5N1 strain has been confirmed in Nakhon Phanom, where over 300,000 chickens have died or been culled as a result of widespread infections, according to Yong Poovorawan, team leader of virologists monitoring changes in the virus since 2004.
The strain has a genetic character close to that of the virus in southern China, he said, adding that virologists were still unsure how it crossed the border from there into Thailand.
There are four types of the H5N1 virus in the region _ the so-called Thai-Vietnamese type, the Indonesian type, and another two types occurring in China. The Thai-Vietnamese type has plagued Thailand since official confirmation of the first outbreak in early 2004.
The virologist said the impact of the new strain on human health was so far no different from that of the Thai-Vietnamese type. But he warned officials to pay attention if they wanted to develop human vaccines which can tackle both types of the virus strain.
''We now have two types of bird flu strain in the country. The new one may not yet have any significance in terms of its health impact but it certainly has significance for our control measures, which might have to improve to cope with its emergence,'' he said.
Livestock Development Department chief Yukol Limlamthong said the agency would beef up controls on fowl movements between area zones, and he called on poultry raisers to tighten their bio-security measures.
Director of the Epidemiology Bureau Kumnuan Ungchusak said scientists needed to be aware of every bird flu type emerging here, so human vaccines could be developed.
But health officials would not strengthen bird flu control measures among humans as the present regime was already intensive, Dr Kumnuan said. Sick people found to be in close contact with ailing fowls would be listed as suspect cases, he said.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Animal Health has confirmed the success of a vaccine prototype for fowls. Director Pornchai Chamnanpood said complete vaccine production which could pave the way for commercial use would be accomplished by February next year.
Thailand is now in the fourth outbreak round, which has killed two people, one each in Phichit and Uthai Thani. Since the first round, more than 60 million fowls have been culled and 16 people have died.
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