http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/26Jan2007_news12.php
HEALTH / WHO ASKED FOR HELP
Tissues to be tested for signs of mutation
APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL
The Public Health Ministry will ask for the World Health Organisation's help in examining lung tissues collected from the body of a 41-year-old man and a five-year-old girl who died from the H3 strain of influenza virus, to look for signs of virus mutation. The man, from Nong Khai's Si Chiang Mai district died on Monday, a day before the second bird flu outbreak of this year was confirmed in the district. The girl, from the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, also died this week from the H3 influenza virus.
The H3 influenza virus could be found in many influenza patients and was not so virulent as to kill most patients, especially adults, said Kamnuan Ungchusak, director of the Public Health Ministry's epidemiology bureau.
After the virus killed two people in one week, the ministry was monitoring the pattern of the H3 virus epidemiology, said Dr Kamnuan.
He said the samples would be sent to the National Influenza Centre at the Medical Sciences Department, run jointly by WHO and the ministry, for an in-depth examination.
''We have to pay extra attention to these cases,'' said Medical Sciences Department chief Paijit Warachit. ''We need to find out what made them die from the H3 influenza virus.''
Dr Paijit said the experts wanted to know if there had been any changes in the virus genes that had made it become more virulent.
The team would also study the link between the H5N avian flu virus outbreak and the detection of H3 influenza virus in the Nong Khai villager, whose house is located close to a bird-flu infected chicken farm.
Epidemiologists were sent to the provinces to investigate the cause of the fatalities, while four members of the man's family have been put under 10-day disease surveillance period.
Bird flu was first confirmed in the country in early 2004, when 17 people died from the H5N1 strain. The number of fatalities fell to 12 in 2005, and five in 2006.
HEALTH / WHO ASKED FOR HELP
Tissues to be tested for signs of mutation
APIRADEE TREERUTKUARKUL
The Public Health Ministry will ask for the World Health Organisation's help in examining lung tissues collected from the body of a 41-year-old man and a five-year-old girl who died from the H3 strain of influenza virus, to look for signs of virus mutation. The man, from Nong Khai's Si Chiang Mai district died on Monday, a day before the second bird flu outbreak of this year was confirmed in the district. The girl, from the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, also died this week from the H3 influenza virus.
The H3 influenza virus could be found in many influenza patients and was not so virulent as to kill most patients, especially adults, said Kamnuan Ungchusak, director of the Public Health Ministry's epidemiology bureau.
After the virus killed two people in one week, the ministry was monitoring the pattern of the H3 virus epidemiology, said Dr Kamnuan.
He said the samples would be sent to the National Influenza Centre at the Medical Sciences Department, run jointly by WHO and the ministry, for an in-depth examination.
''We have to pay extra attention to these cases,'' said Medical Sciences Department chief Paijit Warachit. ''We need to find out what made them die from the H3 influenza virus.''
Dr Paijit said the experts wanted to know if there had been any changes in the virus genes that had made it become more virulent.
The team would also study the link between the H5N avian flu virus outbreak and the detection of H3 influenza virus in the Nong Khai villager, whose house is located close to a bird-flu infected chicken farm.
Epidemiologists were sent to the provinces to investigate the cause of the fatalities, while four members of the man's family have been put under 10-day disease surveillance period.
Bird flu was first confirmed in the country in early 2004, when 17 people died from the H5N1 strain. The number of fatalities fell to 12 in 2005, and five in 2006.
