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Int'l experts monitoring Thailand
Int'l experts monitoring Thailand
Int'l experts monitoring Thailand
APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL
August 9, 2006
International bird flu experts are keeping a close watch on Thailand, besides China and Indonesia, as a country where a human flu pandemic might break out. Prasert Thongcharoen, a leading virologist at Siriraj Hospital, yesterday said the rising rate of infection by the H5N1 bird flu and human influenza viruses in Thailand had raised concerns among medical experts over the possibility of virus mutations that could lead to an influenza pandemic.
Their concerns mounted after bird flu claimed two lives in Thailand within two weeks, on July 24 and Aug 3.
''The longer the H5N1 strain of bird flu and other types of influenza co-exist in the environment, the greater the possibility that the virus will mutate,'' he said.
Dr Prasert pointed out that illegal vaccine use in poultry by farmers posed a major hurdle to efforts to eradicate the deadly bird flu virus.
Vaccination could increase immunity in vaccinated fowls but could not kill the H5N1 virus; therefore, the virus could continue spreading without detection by vets since the vaccinated fowls would not show any symptoms of bird flu, he said.
Epidemiologists and experts in related fields attending an emergency meeting on bird flu control yesterday urged the Livestock Development Department to step up suppression of illegal use of bird flu vaccines by farmers in order to control the spread of the virus more effectively.
Caretaker Public Health Minister Phinij Jarusombat, who chaired the meeting, said illegal use of vaccines in poultry would cause difficulties in virus detection and complicate the screening process for suspected cases.
The situation had become complicated because some farmers had smuggled in vaccines for the H5N2 strain from China for their poultry. This raised concern that there could be cross-breeding of the H5N1 and H5N2 strains, Mr Phinij said.
Meanwhile, the cabinet has approved a 20-million-baht budget to install negative pressure rooms, or isolation wards essential for separating patients having flu-like symptoms, at a total of 100 community and provincial hospitals nationwide.
Supakit Sirilak, provincial public health chief in Uthai Thani, believes the negative pressure rooms will provide more safety for hospital staff and patients. The air which flows in a one-way direction will be sterilised and reduce the possibility of virus circulation in the air.
The rooms, costing around 200,000 baht each, will be equipped with a disinfectant ventilation system.
Most pressure rooms at hospitals around the country now are just normal pressurised rooms which allow the virus to circulate in the air, raising the chance people will contract the virus, he said.
Installation of the negative pressure rooms at the 100 community and provincial hospitals is expected to be completed in the next few months.
Government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said the cabinet also approved another 10 million baht to support the work of public health volunteers, who have been assigned to visit all communities to detect traces of bird flu.
In this fourth bird flu outbreak in Thailand, there have been two human fatalities. One was a 17-year-old male in Phichit province and the other a 27-year-old man in Uthai Thani. Both had had direct contact with dead chickens.
Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry reported yesterday that the 19-year-old male patient in Uthai Thani who had been hospitalised since Saturday with bird flu-like symptoms was discharged yesterday after laboratory tests from showed he did not have bird flu.
In Bangkok, the city administration revealed that since August 1 nine people have been quarantined as suspected bird flu cases. However, all nine tested negative for bird flu.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/09Aug2006_news10.php
Int'l experts monitoring Thailand
Int'l experts monitoring Thailand
APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL
August 9, 2006
International bird flu experts are keeping a close watch on Thailand, besides China and Indonesia, as a country where a human flu pandemic might break out. Prasert Thongcharoen, a leading virologist at Siriraj Hospital, yesterday said the rising rate of infection by the H5N1 bird flu and human influenza viruses in Thailand had raised concerns among medical experts over the possibility of virus mutations that could lead to an influenza pandemic.
Their concerns mounted after bird flu claimed two lives in Thailand within two weeks, on July 24 and Aug 3.
''The longer the H5N1 strain of bird flu and other types of influenza co-exist in the environment, the greater the possibility that the virus will mutate,'' he said.
Dr Prasert pointed out that illegal vaccine use in poultry by farmers posed a major hurdle to efforts to eradicate the deadly bird flu virus.
Vaccination could increase immunity in vaccinated fowls but could not kill the H5N1 virus; therefore, the virus could continue spreading without detection by vets since the vaccinated fowls would not show any symptoms of bird flu, he said.
Epidemiologists and experts in related fields attending an emergency meeting on bird flu control yesterday urged the Livestock Development Department to step up suppression of illegal use of bird flu vaccines by farmers in order to control the spread of the virus more effectively.
Caretaker Public Health Minister Phinij Jarusombat, who chaired the meeting, said illegal use of vaccines in poultry would cause difficulties in virus detection and complicate the screening process for suspected cases.
The situation had become complicated because some farmers had smuggled in vaccines for the H5N2 strain from China for their poultry. This raised concern that there could be cross-breeding of the H5N1 and H5N2 strains, Mr Phinij said.
Meanwhile, the cabinet has approved a 20-million-baht budget to install negative pressure rooms, or isolation wards essential for separating patients having flu-like symptoms, at a total of 100 community and provincial hospitals nationwide.
Supakit Sirilak, provincial public health chief in Uthai Thani, believes the negative pressure rooms will provide more safety for hospital staff and patients. The air which flows in a one-way direction will be sterilised and reduce the possibility of virus circulation in the air.
The rooms, costing around 200,000 baht each, will be equipped with a disinfectant ventilation system.
Most pressure rooms at hospitals around the country now are just normal pressurised rooms which allow the virus to circulate in the air, raising the chance people will contract the virus, he said.
Installation of the negative pressure rooms at the 100 community and provincial hospitals is expected to be completed in the next few months.
Government spokesman Surapong Suebwonglee said the cabinet also approved another 10 million baht to support the work of public health volunteers, who have been assigned to visit all communities to detect traces of bird flu.
In this fourth bird flu outbreak in Thailand, there have been two human fatalities. One was a 17-year-old male in Phichit province and the other a 27-year-old man in Uthai Thani. Both had had direct contact with dead chickens.
Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry reported yesterday that the 19-year-old male patient in Uthai Thani who had been hospitalised since Saturday with bird flu-like symptoms was discharged yesterday after laboratory tests from showed he did not have bird flu.
In Bangkok, the city administration revealed that since August 1 nine people have been quarantined as suspected bird flu cases. However, all nine tested negative for bird flu.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/09Aug2006_news10.php
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