Nong Khai flu death not due to H5N1 (Thailand)

[AlaskaDenise]

(couldn't find this village in other threads)
http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=27514


BANGKOK, Jan 25 (TNA) - Lab tests have confirmed that the 41-year-old man who died earlier this week in Thailand's northeastern province of Nong Khai did not succumb to avian influenza.

Medical Science Department director-general Dr. Paijit Warachit said that Apichart Prombutr, suspected of contracting the H5N1 virus, died of the more common influenza H3 strain not the H5N1 avian flu virus.

Mr. Apichart died after he developed the flu-like symptoms for two days.

The man lived in Si Chiang Mai district where nearly 2,000 chickens in Si Chiang Mai district in Nong Khai were culled on January 20 after the H5N1 virus was found in poultry. The suspicious deaths of more than 200 chickens were reported.

Dr. Paijit said a five-year-old girl in the upper southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan also died recently of the H3 influenza strain.

He said that it was puzzling that the H3 strain virus caused such a severe infection to have killed them. Normally, it caused common human flu, so it is necessary to determine the reason why the two patients died after contracting only the H3 strain.

Disease Control Department head Dr. Thawat Suntrajarn also said that it was quite unusual.

He also said the elderly and children should receive flu vaccine free of charge and a factory to produce influenza vaccine should be establish to supply adequate vaccines to meet local demand if the outbreak occurs. (TNA)-E004





Last Update : 2007-01-25 / 17:55:16 (GMT+7:00)

 

[AlaskaDenise]

Re: Nong Khai flu death not due to H5N1 (Thailand)

....puzzling that the H3 strain virus caused such a severe infection to have killed them.....

What would cause that? Did the H3 do a little recombining, etc. with an H5N1???


Once again - we hope they release the sequences ASAP.

.

 

[Gert van der Hoek]

Re: Nong Khai flu death not due to H5N1 (Thailand)

Thai officials observe virus mutation in pigs


Thailand's provincial public health officials have been alerted to keep a close watch on the possibility of the mutation of viruses in pigs following the deaths of two people from H3N2 human influenza.

Thawat Sunthrajarn, director-general of Disease Control Department, said on Friday that pigs have been proven to be capable of contracting bird flu virus known as H5N1 and H3N2 human flu virus without showing any symptoms.

"This provides an ideal place for the two strains of virus to mix and mutate," Thawat was quoted by the Bangkok Post's website as saying.

The director-general noted that the most scary thing is that the mutation of the two strains of virus occurs in human bodies or other mammals. He said that in the past whenever there was a bird flu outbreak, health officials would take blood samples from mammals to test for bird flu virus.

One man recently died of H3N2 virus in Thai northeastern Nong Khai province and a five-year old girl also died from the virus in central Prachuab Khiri Khan province. Meanwhile, Nong Khai and nearby Phitsanulok have been confirmed as the country's first two bird flu outbreaking provinces this year.

Source: Xinhua


http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200701/26/eng20070126_345137.html


report from jan 20:


Local health authorities had declared a duck farm in Tortae sub- district of Phitsanulok off-limits for two weeks as a precaution. About 600 ducks in the farm have been slaughtered. It is also reported that there are also about 30 pigs in the province which may have contracted bird flu.
Source: Xinhua


http://english.people.com.cn/200701/19/eng20070119_342951.html[/QUOTE]