Thailand 7/30 - 8/01

[sharon sanders]

Starting new thread -

Previous one:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=22789#post22789


Please remember:

It is regular flu season in South East Asia.

People will ask for testing if they suspect H5N1. We can not rely on the amount of persons tested for any accurate accounting of the situation.

There does not appear to be any clusters yet. This would indicate that H2H is not occurring.

It appears that H5N1 is endemic in the environment. There are several possible vectors to infect humans.

Thank you for participating.

 

[Nancy]

Re: Thailand 7/30

Re: Thailand 7/30

Bangkok Post
Sunday July 30, 2006

113 suspected with bird flu
Test results awaited, condition 'not worrying'

The number of patients suspected to have bird flu has reached 113 across the country and all are being kept under strict surveillance, the Public Health Ministry said. The results of laboratory tests are still awaited and until then health workers cannot say for sure how many, if any, have picked up the disease.

The ministry said 75 suspected patients were in Phichit, 14 in Sukhothai, five in Kanchanaburi, three in Nakhon Sawan, three in Suphan Buri, two each in Bangkok, Phitsanulok, and Phetchabun and one each in Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Maha Sarakham, Uthai Thani and Uttaradit.

All were under close supervision pending test results from the Department of Medical Sciences.

The ministry played down the report, however, saying the patients' condition was not worrisome.

Uttaradit was the latest province to be put on red alert after a patient was hospitalised.

The patient, an employee at Tha Pla Hospital, developed bird flu-like symptoms. The patient had close contact with fighting cocks.

Livestock Development Department deputy chief Sakchai Sriboonsue said the agency has distributed disinfectants, gloves, and face masks to anti-bird flu volunteers in Uttaradit as a precautionary measure.

During his field trip, Mr Sakchai found several villagers were not keeping domestic chickens in enclosed areas.

That posed the threat of a pandemic breaking out in the neighbourhood.

He also inspected fowl-quarantine checkpoints to keep an eye on the movement of poultry across provinces.

Public Health Ministry inspectors-general and health officials in 19 zones were urged to tighten control measures to prevent a possible spread.

Siriporn Katchana, an inspector-general in zone 3, urged all local health stations to keep monitoring patients who suffered from colds, developed irregular breathing and had come into contact with poultry.

She also encouraged the public to cooperate with health officials, and not to conceal health-related information.

Ms Siriporn said 20% of patients, mostly adults, failed to disclose such information about having close contact with fowl carcasses.

If the patients failed to do so, they run the risk of contracting the deadly disease, she said.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/30Jul2006_news04.php

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: Thailand 7/30

Re: Thailand 7/30

Thanks and Welcome Nancy!

 

[Theresa42]

HCW alert

HCW alert

HCW alert...

Bangkok Post
Sunday July 30, 2006

113 suspected with bird flu
Test results awaited, condition 'not worrying'

(...)

Uttaradit was the latest province to be put on red alert after a patient was hospitalised.

The patient, an employee at Tha Pla Hospital, developed bird flu-like symptoms. The patient had close contact with fighting cocks.

(...)

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/30Jul2006_news04.php

 

[Theresa42]

BF victim's family requests 2nd autopsy / suspicious death in Uttaradit

BF victim's family requests 2nd autopsy / suspicious death in Uttaradit

Machine-translated from Thai:

Not cremate victim bird flu and request chop prove [autopsy?] again
วันเสาร์ที่ 29 กรกฎาคม 2549

Father mother of victim bird flu case most recent cancel task cremation (funeral & burial) corpse sone and ask for doctor [name] is person chop prove [autopsy?] again.

Status bird flu place province Phichit at present also not find task spread out in person again after Mr. [name] there is honor lose life and be correct identify that happen from virus bird flu and virus fever blood got out [dengue?] at the same time.

Because in today as before will there is ceremony cremation (funeral & burial) Mr. [name] that test [?] but father mother of Mr. [name] can cancel ceremony together with enter report with police there is bringing corpse son return go examine prove again that cause task really life come from infect with bird flu really or not because request doctor [name] is person chop prove.

By field chief [name] Thailand director-general Department of Livestock can [?] every area of province Phichit end inside 5 days for patient suspected wait for watch symptoms to be at according to hospital be different in province Phichit at present there is to be at 20 persons.

When province Uttaradit receive report that there is patient lose life in district Haat Laa district Meuang Uttaradit after contact and eat chicken which also not can conclude can that lose life because bird flu or not Mr. [name] deputy director Department of Livestock can urge authority watch/guard carefully and protect task spread out in area the North part lower except province Dtaak and Uthai Thani.

As for that district Wi Set Chai [?] province Ang Thong find that there is bird fly be ok arrive die is a great number of all sparrow and bird pigeon besides chicken domestic of villagers also one after another die, villagers must bring go burn and bury destroy be quiet start authority can enter spray disinfectant include bring sample go check prove already that will contagious bird flu or not.

http://www.ch7.com/news7ch_news_temp_news1.php?NewsID=78735

 

[Theresa42]

Five new patients suspected of having caught bird flu in Thailand

Five new patients suspected of having caught bird flu in Thailand

Five new patients suspected of having caught bird flu in Thailand
28/7/2006 10:46

Five new patients in Phitsanulok and Phichit, the Thai provinces declared bird flu red zones, are suspected to have caught the deadly H5N1 virus, local media Friday reported.

The Thai Public Health Ministry was quoted by the Bangkok Post as saying the new cases pushed the number of suspected cases to 44 nationwide, all awaiting bird flu laboratory test results.

Bunchai Theerakan, acting chief of Phitsanulok Public Health Office, said three new patients in the province were admitted to local hospitals during the past two days.

They showed symptoms similar to influenza, and all had had direct contact with chicken in areas where mass chicken deaths were reported. The hospitals were waiting for blood test results.

In Phichit, two patients, a 42-year-old woman and a four-year-old girl, fell sick after they touched dead chicken carcasses at their homes, according to the Phichit Hospital.

Mysterious mass chicken deaths have also occurred in Phichit.

Five other provinces listed among the bird flu alert zones are Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Suphan Buri, Kanchanaburi and Nakhon Pathom.

http://english.eastday.com/eastday/...node95960/node95962/userobject1ai2213998.html

 

[Sharpe]

Re: Thailand 7/30

Re: Thailand 7/30

So, considering today's news from Uttaradit, it may be worth briefly giving a summary of what's been going on in the province.

Most likely some time between 16-19 July 2006:
A 67-year-old man and his 35-year-old son-in-law were hospitalized in Tha Pla District Hospital with bird flu symptoms. They had reportedly eaten dove recently.

21 July 2006:
They were transferred to Uttaradit Provincial Hospital

22 July 2006:
Uttaradit named one of the red zone provinces.

29 July 2006:
A Tha Pla District Hospital employee was reported to be hospitalized. He was reportedly a fighting cock-contacter.

29 July 2006:
A person was suspected to have died in the capital district of Uttaradit (If hospitalized, they would probably have been at the Uttaradit Provincial Hospital too.).

 

[Sharpe]

Re: Thailand 7/30

Re: Thailand 7/30

T, that latest article is still summarizing the news from Friday. On Friday it was announced that three family members were hospitalized in Phitsanoluk--perhaps the same ones they're talking about. As for the other two, it's anyone's guess who they are. I've given up on figuring anything out about Phichit, with it's constantly changing numbers.

 

[Sharpe]

More on the Hospital Employee

More on the Hospital Employee

More on the hospital employee. They're changing the story from the contacting of fighting cocks to killing a chicken with his mouth wide open.

http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=23705
New suspected bird flu case found in Uttaradit UTTARADIT, July 30 (TNA) - A hospital worker with recent direct contact with a sick bird has emerged as Thailand's latest suspected bird flu case, pending result of blood test verification on Monday, a senior official said Saturday.

News about this latest case emerged during a visit to Uttaradit, classified as one of seven high-risk areas for avian influenza in Thailand by Deputy Director-General of the Livestock Development Department Sakchai Sriboonsue.

Mr. Sakchai led a delegation to distribute equipment and inspect prevention measures regarding a possible bird flu outbreak in the provincial seat and three other districts.

Speaking to reporters afterward, Mr. Sakchai expressed concern that many villagers are still raising chickens the "traditional way" by letting them roam freely, a practice that he said could heighten the risk of bird
flu outbreaks.

The authorities are asking the villagers to abandon free-range practices and raise poultry in enclosures instead, taking special precaution to prevent themselves from contracting the disease.

During the visit, the delegation was informed by the provincial hospital that it has admitted a suspected bird flu case--an employee of the Ta Pla District Hospital.

From the medical team's inquiry the man was found to have culled a chicken that appeared to be ill without first covering his mouth and nose, and he thereafter fell ill with bird flu-like symptoms.

The hospital sent the patient's blood samples for further laboratory tests in nearby Phitsanulok province and result will be known by Monday. (TNA)-E007

 

[HenryN]

Re: Thailand 7/30

Re: Thailand 7/30

Thailand does have a history of making it up as they go. When H5N1 was detected in a dog in 2004, the sample was said to have been mislabeled. This year the sequence of the H5N1 from the dog (which had PB2 E627K) was piblished. The name of the 2004 isolate gave no indication that the sample had been mislabeled in 2004. The same was true for patients infected in 2004. A retrospective study tested clinial samples to show those with bird flu symptoms and contact with birds could be confirmed. WHO never acknowledged these cases, but instead used Thailand as a poster child for a successful battle against H5N1. WHO sets the standard through their actions (or inactions).

 

[Nancy]

Re: Thailand 7/30

Re: Thailand 7/30

The article below seems to continue the story mentioned in the articles copied in posts #32 and #38 in the previous thread (re Thailand 7/27-29). Those mentioned culling 12,000 chickens in Nakhon Phanom on Friday. It appears that they did an initial cull of 12,000 while waiting for test results. When the tests came back positive for H5N1, which this article confirms, they presumably decided to cull more widely. At least that's my reading, with limited time this morning.

From Forbes.com news website this morning:

AFX News Limited
Thailand confirms second bird flu outbreak
07.30.2006, 06:43 AM

BANGKOK (XFN-ASIA) - Thai officials ordered the slaughter of 300,000 chickens after the second outbreak this year of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus was discovered on a farm in the northeast.

'The H5N1 virus was found in chickens in a local farm,' Charal Trinvuthipong, assistant to the agricultural minister, told Agence France-Presse.

The outbreak at a farm in Nakhon Phanom province, 740 kilometers northeast of Bangkok, follows the death on Wednesday of a boy from bird flu -- Thailand's first such death in seven months.

'It is the second outbreak (this year) following the one in Phichit province,' Charal added.

He said more than one hundred volunteers had been deployed to cull about 300,000 chickens near the affected area.

Authorities earlier threatened people with a 2,000 baht fine for failing to report any sick or dead poultry.

Agriculture ministry officials said the measures, due to be officially announced tomorrow, would be enforced across the country.

For more information and to contact AFX: www.afxnews.com and www.afxpress.com

http://www.forbes.com/finance/feeds/afx/2006/07/30/afx2913792.html

 

[Theresa42]

80 patients nationwide being monitored for bird flu

80 patients nationwide being monitored for bird flu

80 patients nationwide being monitored for bird flu

BANGKOK, July 30 (TNA) - Thailand's Public health Ministry has named 80 patients in 19 provinces nationwide as being under close monitoring for bird flu infection, ministry permanent secretary Prat Boonyawongvirot said on Sunday.

The patients, now under treatment at hospitals and public health care units throughout the country, include 18 in Phichit, 14 in Sukhothai, nine each in Phitsanulok and Suphanburi, seven in Nan, four in Nakhon
Sawan, three each in Phetchabun and Uttaradit, two each in Nakhon Phathom and Nonthaburi, and one each in Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Kamphaeng Phet, Chacheongsao, Nakhon Nayok, Phathum Thani, Phrachin Buri, Lampun, and Uthai Thani.

All are awaiting the results of laboratory tests to find out whether they have caught the deadly virus or not after they developed flu-like symptoms including high fever and coughs and had records of contact
poultry which died of unknown causes, Dr. Prat said.

Dr. Phaijit Warachit, head of the Medical Science Department, Sunday visited Phichit in the north, which is currently the province worst affected by the bird flu outbreak. He went to inspect testing operations at the department's mobile laboratory unit.

More scientists and technical specialists were deployed to conduct the tests as the number of suspected bird flu patients in Phichit and nearby provinces increased, he said.

However, the doctor said so far the more than half of those tested have caught the common influenza or flu, and not the feared H5N1 virus, and that some others have been infected by other diseases.

No new bird flu cases have been found, Dr. Phaijit said, and the remaining 17 patients in the province are waiting for the test results.

http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=23718

 

[Theresa42]

BF suspect (60M) from Nongbua Lamphu province

BF suspect (60M) from Nongbua Lamphu province

Machine-translated from Thai:

Find patient suspected infected with bird flu place province Nong Bua Lam Poo [Nong Bua Lamphu] again 1 person
โดย ผู้จัดการออนไลน์ 30 กรกฎาคม 2549 16:27 น.

Mr. [name] domestic animal province Nong Bua Lam Poo disclose that Mr. [name] age 60 year to be at home number place 121 group 4 house Kohk Muang Choom district Noh [?] Meuang district Noh [?] enter treatment place hospital Noh [?] because have a temperature high when date 24 July preceding before be correct subsequently go treat place hospital Nong Bua Lam Poo and find that there is symptom by lung suspicious that might infected with bird flu type H5N1 and must wait result confirm from laboratory in day Monday this.

[Name?] examine history Mr. [?] find that [?] duck and chicken keep amount one in order that is food as for village aforementioned never there is chicken die or there is task spread of bird flu come before anyway authority can spray disinfectant bird flu in order that protect spread keep in advance already.

Lately find chicken die because not known cause again 2 points in province is place home Yaang Luang district Goot Jik district Meuang and place Wat Tep [?] district Nik Song Kror(?) district Noh [?] points each more 20 bodies.

http://www.manager.co.th/Home/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9490000097112&Keyword=%e4%a2%e9%cb%c7%d1%b4%b9%a1

Nongbua Lamphu Province:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nongbua_Lamphu_Province

 

[Christian Rivers]

Re: Thailand 7/30

Re: Thailand 7/30

H5N1 Testing in Thailand.
The frequent references to blood testing are confusing. Rapid testing is done on pulmonary secretions. Blood testing is to detect antibody response to an antigen. This immune response is difficult to assess early on in the infection.

I cannot find any indication that Thailand has the ability to rapidly test for H5N1 in patients experiencing flu-like symptoms. The best I can find they rely on serological data (requires, exposure, infection and immune response over a two week period). Currently it looks like we will continue to rely on the clinical epidemiology of the illnesses for clues. Based on the news reports, I agree that even if more of these patients do have H5N1 it still appears B2H for now.

Misc links to background information below:

A posting of news article. States that 1600 tests have been done this year. We assume they were all negative. Notes that a family exposed to a suspected patient did not get blood tests ?because they looked healthy.?
http://eng.moph.go.th/ContentDetails.php?intC

A link from the health ministry on Thai health care
http://eng.moph.go.th/TechResearch/hsri/hsri_web.htm

Thai health profile 2001-2004
http://www.moph.go.th/ops/health_48/index_eng.htm

Included in the above profile is this 12 page chapter on international health.
http://www.moph.go.th/ops/health_48/CHAP13.PDF

From WHO Links
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/centres2004/en/
The best I can tell is that the WHO Centre is set up to receive specimens from patients in the region in order to characterize the influenza type for vaccine development in subsequent years.

National Influenza Centre ? Who Collaborating Lab
Thailand - Nonthaburi
E mail : pranee@dmsc.moph.go.th

Pandemic activities seem to be in a different division.
http://www.who.int/csr/en/

In April 2006 WHO issued a request for partnerships to develop laboratory capabilities throughout the world. (26 page overview linked here). http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/WHO_CDS_CSR_LYO_2005_19.pdf

Despite the room for improvement in pandemic detection, we can stay optimistic remembering the success and luck the world had with SARS. The continued efforts for clarity here at flutrackers.com will help in that endeavor.
CR

 

[Theresa42]

14 bf suspects in Sukhothai

14 bf suspects in Sukhothai

Same number as reported elsewhere, so presumably these are not additional cases:

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=22735&postcount=37

Machine-translated from Thai:

Find persons suspected infected with bird flu place province Sukhothai 14 cases
โดย ผู้จัดการออนไลน์ 30 กรกฎาคม 2549 13:27 น.

Public health Sukhothai watch over deep measure every hospital for patient everyone place be within the scope of catch symptoms resemble influenza and there is history contact chicken die prevent body keep treat and observe symptoms include collect phlegm/mucus in neck/throat send examine in order that search result confirm that patient can infected with bird flu or not include order [?] every area place there is history chicken die both old and new(latest) enter area try to understand with people even though means prevention be treated only to be free from infected with bird flu at present all hospital [?] district See [?] Rohng and hosptial Sukhothai there is patient suspected amount 14 cases.

http://www.manager.co.th/Home/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9490000097042&Keyword=%e4%a2%e9%cb%c7%d1%b4%b9%a1

 

[Theresa42]

No additional bf cases confirmed in Phichit yet / poultry deaths in several provinces

No additional bf cases confirmed in Phichit yet / poultry deaths in several provinces

Machine-translated from Thai:

Yet not find that there is infected with bird flu in person more place province Phichit
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 30 กรกฎาคม 2549 (19.45 น.)

Situation bird flu place province Phichit yet not find that there is infected with in person more while chicken in much area one by one according to increase.

At present yet not find infected with bird flu in person place province Phichit more but doctor [name] director-general Dept. of Medical Sciences also watch/guard follow situation and assure case dead person that district [? - ทับคล้อ] that infected with bird flu as for result examine virus fever blood go out [dengue fever] will know result in date 5-7 August this.

For Mr. [name] that lose life from bird flu [i.e. the 17 yr old that died of bf] and relatives also refuse cremation (funeral & burial) because not confident result examine/diagnose of doctor and also doubt about medicine that inject Mr. [name] before lose life power prepare will bring corpse Mr. [name] go doctor [name] chop prove [autopsy] again while doctor [name] director hospital Phichit say that treatment Mr. [name] be in line with main medicine that inject also is medicine that use treat infectious disease by lung.

As for place province another such as place Baan Nong Paa Kaao district Bpaa [?] province Lamphun there is chicken die and that house Nong Pra district Wang Tong province Phitsanulok there is fighting cock die and also to be no authority enter advice villager place be blind to the situation can bring too much eat.

By field livestock province Nakhon Phanom mobilize authority enter destroy chicken in area district habitation Glaang district Meuang Gwaa 70 farms total 280,000 bodies after affect from center research & development veterinarian part northeast province Khon Kaen that find virus bird flu in chicken that die.

Doctor [name] committee person help minister regularly Ministry of Agriculture talk about bird flu place province Nakhon Phanom that become infected come from tray eggs (taat kai) place farmer send move sell/vend domestic neighbor already bring tray eggs return [?] use again at present domestic neighbor power there is spread out of virus bird flu then coordinate with province location become infected border control increase.

By field province Trat [on border with Cambodia] can ask for cooperation authority regularly border crossing strict not there is smuggle bring poultry enter in area include place barrier intercept move poultry.

As for Ministry of Public Health register patient in scope watch/guard carefully bird flu nationwide increase is 80 cases and from 19 provinces.

http://www.ch7.com/news7ch_news_temp_news1.php?NewsID=78936

Trat province:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trat_Province

 

[Theresa42]

Ministry of Health update - July 30, 15.45

Ministry of Health update - July 30, 15.45

Machine-translated from Thai:

Ministry of Public Health reveals account patients watch/guard carefully bird flu (15.45 o'clock)
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 30 กรกฎาคม 2549

Ministry of Public Health register patients in scope watch/guard carefully bird flu nationwide increase is 80 cases already.

Result from examine/survey health patient that have a temperature/be sick cough or pneumonia that there is history contact poultry that sick die from clinic all over nationwide of Ministry of Public Health most recent there is patient that be correct select filter enter one's name is patient in scope watch/guard carefully bird flu entire 80 cases from 19 provinces receive to Phichit 18 cases, Sukhothai 14 cases, Phitsanulok 9 cases, Suphan Buri 9 cases, Nan 7 cases, Nakhon Sawan 4 cases, Phetchabun 3 cases, Uttaradi 3 cases, Nakhon Pathom and Nonthaburi province each 2 cases.

Place remain is Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Kamphaeng Phet, Chachoengsao Province, Nakhon Nayok, Pathum Thani, Prachin Buri, Lamphun and Uthai Thani province each 1 case that all/total this still remain among wait for result examine confirm from laboratory.

http://www.ch7.com/news7ch_news_temp_news1.php?NewsID=78830

 

[Reeves]

80 patients monitored for bird flu

80 patients monitored for bird flu

80 patients monitored for bird flu

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=111890



Thailand's Public health Ministry has named 80 patients in 19 provinces nationwide as being under close monitoring for bird flu infection, ministry permanent secretary Prat
Boonyawongvirot said on Sunday.

The patients, now under treatment at hospitals and public health care units throughout the country, include 18 in Phichit, 14 in Sukhothai, nine each in Phitsanulok and Suphanburi, seven in Nan, four in Nakhon
Sawan, three each in Phetchabun and Uttaradit, two each in Nakhon Phatom and Nonthaburi, and one each in Bangkok, Kanchanaburi, Kamphaengphet, Chacheongsao, Nakhon Nayok, Phathumtani, Phrachinburi,
Lampun, and Uthai Thani.

All are awaiting the results of laboratory tests to find out whether they have caught the deadly virus or not after they developed flu-like symptoms including high fever and coughs and had records of contact
poultry which died of unknown causes, Dr. Prat said.

Dr. Phaijit Warachit, head of the Medical Science Department, Sunday visited Phichit in the north, which is currently the province worst affected by the bird flu outbreak. He went to inspect testing operations at the department's mobile laboratory unit.

More scientists and technical specialists were deployed to conduct the tests as the number of suspected bird flu patients in Phichit and nearby provinces increased, he said.

However, the doctor said so far the more than half of those tested have caught the common influenza or flu, and not the feared H5N1 virus, and that some others have been infected by other diseases.

No new bird flu cases have been found, Dr. Phaijit said, and the remaining 17 patients in the province are waiting for the test results. (TNA)

 

[Shannon Bennett]

Re: 80 patients monitored for bird flu

Re: 80 patients monitored for bird flu

The good news here is no one is dying. I suspect most of these cases are typical flu cases and not the dreaded H5N1.

 

[Jeremy]

Re: 80 patients monitored for bird flu

Re: 80 patients monitored for bird flu

The good news here is no one is dying. I suspect most of these cases are typical flu cases and not the dreaded H5N1.

That may be the case. However, having fresh outbreaks of H5N1 and large numbers of people catching the "regular" flu, whatever that is, all within such close proximity is not a good thing.