Thai authorities on alert against bird flu
BANGKOK, July 28 (TNA) - Thai authorities in provinces formerly infected with bird flu virus are on high alert for a possible re-emergence of the disease after the nation confirmed the first death from avian flu in one and a half years earlier this week.
Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said as a new outbreak of bid flu which killed a 17-year-old teenage boy--the first human bird flu death in the kingdom since February 2005--was reported in the northern Phichit Province earlier this week, he had ordered officials across the metropolis to monitor all signs of a re-emergence of the disease.
The governor visited a chicken farm in the East of the capital, saying it was not widely known that Bangkok has 24 modern poultry farms with some 1.1 million birds altogether.
However, he said surveillance measures against the threat of a possible re-emergence of bird flu imposed during the last outbreaks are still in place at these chicken farms.
Mr. Apirak directed city officials to continue to educate poultry farmers, especially those small-scale producers who keep chickens at their homes, about the new outbreak and how to prevent themselves from contracting the disease.
"Poultry farmers must inform officials at once if their chickens die mysteriously and they must not move the animals,'' the Bangkok governor said.
He said city officials would coordinate closely with the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to prevent a new outbreak in Bangkok.
Meanwhile, in Kanchanaburi on the Myanmar border, West of Bangkok, livestock officials met Friday to discuss measures to prevent the disease from returning in areas infected by the virus during previous outbreaks.
Viriya Kaewthong, provincial livestock chief, said checkpoints would be set up in areas at risk, especially in Phanomtuan District, to prevent the illegal movement of poultry.
Local officials have been on high alert to monitor for a bird flu outbreak and indicated that they would spray chemical disinfectant to kill the virus.
''Some chickens have died in the province but our tests confirmed they were free of bird flu,'' Mr. Viriya said.
Boonnam Chaiwisuth, head of the provincial health service, said he directed health officials and volunteers to visit villagers to educate them on bird flu virus and prevention as the current changeable weather from rainy season to winter could help
the virus spread more quickly.
''Hospitals across the province would also monitor for patients with bird flu-like symptoms," he said.
Similar measures have been imposed by livestock officials in the southern Phang-nga Province, according to local sources.
Teams of officials were sent into several villages in Ta Kua Pa District, hard hit by the bird flu outbreaks two years ago, to conduct a thorough check for sick fowls and humans.
They also sprayed the areas to prevent the virus from returning.
During the past outbreaks, Phang-nga had culled hundreds of thousands of chickens to contain the virus.
Bird flu virus has claimed 15 lives in Thailand so far. [I'm assuming since 2004??]
The country reported the first outbreak in early 2004 and since then has devastated the country's poultry business.
It has also spread in many countries in Asia, Africa and Europe and killed more than 130 people around the globe (TNA)--E110, E002
BANGKOK, July 28 (TNA) - Thai authorities in provinces formerly infected with bird flu virus are on high alert for a possible re-emergence of the disease after the nation confirmed the first death from avian flu in one and a half years earlier this week.
Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin said as a new outbreak of bid flu which killed a 17-year-old teenage boy--the first human bird flu death in the kingdom since February 2005--was reported in the northern Phichit Province earlier this week, he had ordered officials across the metropolis to monitor all signs of a re-emergence of the disease.
The governor visited a chicken farm in the East of the capital, saying it was not widely known that Bangkok has 24 modern poultry farms with some 1.1 million birds altogether.
However, he said surveillance measures against the threat of a possible re-emergence of bird flu imposed during the last outbreaks are still in place at these chicken farms.
Mr. Apirak directed city officials to continue to educate poultry farmers, especially those small-scale producers who keep chickens at their homes, about the new outbreak and how to prevent themselves from contracting the disease.
"Poultry farmers must inform officials at once if their chickens die mysteriously and they must not move the animals,'' the Bangkok governor said.
He said city officials would coordinate closely with the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives to prevent a new outbreak in Bangkok.
Meanwhile, in Kanchanaburi on the Myanmar border, West of Bangkok, livestock officials met Friday to discuss measures to prevent the disease from returning in areas infected by the virus during previous outbreaks.
Viriya Kaewthong, provincial livestock chief, said checkpoints would be set up in areas at risk, especially in Phanomtuan District, to prevent the illegal movement of poultry.
Local officials have been on high alert to monitor for a bird flu outbreak and indicated that they would spray chemical disinfectant to kill the virus.
''Some chickens have died in the province but our tests confirmed they were free of bird flu,'' Mr. Viriya said.
Boonnam Chaiwisuth, head of the provincial health service, said he directed health officials and volunteers to visit villagers to educate them on bird flu virus and prevention as the current changeable weather from rainy season to winter could help
the virus spread more quickly.
''Hospitals across the province would also monitor for patients with bird flu-like symptoms," he said.
Similar measures have been imposed by livestock officials in the southern Phang-nga Province, according to local sources.
Teams of officials were sent into several villages in Ta Kua Pa District, hard hit by the bird flu outbreaks two years ago, to conduct a thorough check for sick fowls and humans.
They also sprayed the areas to prevent the virus from returning.
During the past outbreaks, Phang-nga had culled hundreds of thousands of chickens to contain the virus.
Bird flu virus has claimed 15 lives in Thailand so far. [I'm assuming since 2004??]
The country reported the first outbreak in early 2004 and since then has devastated the country's poultry business.
It has also spread in many countries in Asia, Africa and Europe and killed more than 130 people around the globe (TNA)--E110, E002
