Announcement

**AlaskaDenise** · January 15, 2007, 07:38 AM

Re: Outbreak in Thailand

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0107/388404.html

Thai Officials Find Bird Flu in Ducks
BANGKOK, Thailand - Monday January 15, 2007 6:53 am

A new outbreak of virulent bird flu was found in ducks in northern Thailand, officials said Monday, the first such case in six months. The outbreak of the H5N1 virus was confirmed by laboratory tests after the deaths of more than 100 ducks were reported in Phitsanulok province, said Manet Runluang, an official at the Public Health Ministry's Department of Communicable Disease Control.
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"We have found the H5N1 virus in the ducks and we have ordered around 2,100 ducks in the area to be killed," said Nirand Uaebumrungsut, a veterinarian with the Agriculture Ministry's Department of Livestock Development.
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He added the area has many wild and free-range ducks and the department has been gathering birds from within a three-mile radius of the outbreak to be slaughtered.
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Thailand's Public Health Ministry ordered the communicable disease control department to increase measures to curb the outbreak and prevent its potential spread to humans, said Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla.
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"Although we have not found a case in many months, we have asked governmental health organizations to help monitor cases of flu, coughs and pneumonia, especially among people who have come into contact with birds," Mongkol said.
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Health experts advise special caution about flu during winter months, when people are more susceptible to infections.

Since it began ravaging Asia's poultry in late 2003, the H5N1 bird flu virus has spread to the Middle East and Africa and killed at least 159 people around the world, according to the World Health Organization.
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There have been 17 human deaths in Thailand.
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Most of those killed have been infected by sick birds, but WHO fears the virus could mutate into a form that easily spreads among humans, possibly sparking a pandemic.

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**AlaskaDenise** · January 15, 2007, 07:41 AM

Re: Outbreak in Thailand

http://www.bangkokrecorder.com/news/...iland-699.html

<TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD class=contentheading width="100%">Bird flu returns to Thailand

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD class=createdate vAlign=top colSpan=2>Monday, 15 January 2007

</TD></TR><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2>The Livestock Department has ordered the slaughter of almost 2-thousand ducks in Northern Thailand after a fresh outbreak of the bird flu virus.

About 100 ducks died last week in Pitsanulok province, 340 kilometers north of Bangkok, officials revealed. Testing showed that the birds had been infected with the H5N1 bird-flu strain, which can be deadly in people.

The fresh outbreak is Thailand's first in almost six months, and the Public Health Ministry ordered local medical teams to be ready round-the-clock in case the disease spreads to human beings.

Indonesia recorded four human deaths from H5N1 last week. China also reported its first human case of the disease this winter.

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**Sharpe** · January 15, 2007, 11:34 PM

Re: Outbreak in Thailand

Detected in wild birds in Suphan Buri too. Being reported by Bangkok Post and Bloomberg. Note that both provinces were on red alert in July with widespread poultry deaths, some confirmed to be H5N1, others not. Phitsanulok was one of the worst-hit provinces of Thailand in July--at one time having at least 16 suspect human cases in it's hospitals alone. Suphan Buri, further south, had 6 suspect human cases at that time. Since then Thailand has experienced very severe flooding, a coup, and large epidemics of diarrhea, dengue, and pneumonia.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_....php?id=116059
Bird flu found in Phitsanulok and Suphan Buri

bangkokpost.com

Bird flu has recently been detected in wild birds in Suphan Buri and at a duck farm in Phitsanulok, according to Mr Thawat Sunthrajarn, director-general of Communicable Diseases Control Department.

He said that lab tests had shown that carcasses of some myna birds and pigeons found in Suphan Buri carried H5N1 virus while ducks raised in a farm in Phitsanulok also carried the virus. About 2,000 ducks in the farm had been slaughtered, he added.

Mr Thawat warned high-risk groups such as those working in slaughter houses to take precautions when slaughtering ducks and chicken even though it is not easy for the virus to be transmitted to human beings from animals.

The Phitsanulok outbreak was the first and only case reported in five months since the previous one which occurred in Nakhon Phanom in July last year.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...fer=healthcare
Thailand Reports H5N1 Avian Flu Strain in Wild Birds (Update1)

By Anuchit Nguyen and Kanoko Matsuyama

Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Thailand, the world's fourth-largest poultry exporter, found avian flu in pigeons and other wild birds, prompting the government to intensify surveillance for the lethal virus that threatens to infect humans.

Four pigeons were among a group of wild birds that died last month in the central province of Suphan Buri. Tests confirmed they had the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, Thawat Suntrajarn, the Health Ministry's director general of disease control, said in an interview broadcast on Business Radio today.

``There have been a large number of migrating wild birds that probably carry the virus,'' said Thawat. ``We have asked all related officials to closely monitor the death of poultry and birds. Any people that have flu-like symptoms with a history of contacting poultry will be quarantined.''

Thailand, which has the world's third-highest number of human fatalities from H5N1, said yesterday the virus killed ducks in a northern Thai province, the nation's first reported outbreak in more than five months. Diseased birds increase the opportunities for human infection and provide chances for H5N1 to mutate into a form more dangerous to people.

The H5N1 strain is known to have infected 267 people in 10 countries since 2003, killing 161 of them, the World Health Organization said yesterday. Millions could die if H5N1 mutates and begins spreading easily between people, sparking a lethal pandemic.

Almost all human H5N1 cases have been linked to close contact with sick or dead birds, such as children playing with them or adults butchering them or plucking feathers.

Poultry Outbreak

Thailand's Agricultural Ministry yesterday said 2,100 poultry were culled to contain an outbreak in Phitsanulok province, about 377 kilometers (234 miles) north of Bangkok. Outbreaks in the Southeast Asian nation last year killed three people in July and August.

Human and poultry H5N1 infections have tended to increase during the Northern Hemisphere winter months, WHO said yesterday.

Japan's Agriculture Minister Toshikatsu Matsuoka will visit a farm today on the southern island of Kyushu, where 3,900 chickens died of the H5N1 virus in the past week and more than 8,000 fowl were culled to contain the disease's spread. Matsuoka cut short a visit to the U.S. to help deal with the outbreak.

``So far, all parties involved are doing their best and the issue is handled effectively,'' he told reporters in Tokyo today. The ministry plans to announce today the preliminary report of an investigation of the outbreak, which occurred on a farm in Miyazaki prefecture.

**Niko** · January 16, 2007, 01:39 AM

Re: Outbreak in Thailand

Thailand Reports H5N1 Avian Flu Strain in Wild Birds (Update3)

By Anuchit Nguyen and Kanoko Matsuyama
Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Thailand, the world's fourth-largest poultry exporter, found avian flu in pigeons and other wild birds, prompting the government to intensify surveillance for the lethal virus that threatens to infect humans.

Four pigeons were among a group of wild birds that died last month in the central province of Suphan Buri. Tests confirmed they had the H5N1 strain of avian influenza, Thawat Suntrajarn, the Health Ministry's director general of disease control, said in an interview broadcast on Business Radio today.
``We have asked all related officials to closely monitor the death of poultry and birds,'' Thawat said. ``Any people that have flu-like symptoms with a history of contacting poultry will be quarantined.''

Thailand, which has the world's third-highest number of human fatalities from H5N1, said yesterday the virus killed ducks in a northern province, the nation's first reported outbreak in more than five months. Diseased birds increase the opportunities for human infection and provide chances for H5N1 to mutate into a form more dangerous to people.

The H5N1 strain is known to have infected 267 people in 10 countries since 2003, killing 161 of them, the World Health Organization said yesterday. Millions could die if H5N1 mutates and begins spreading easily between people, sparking a lethal pandemic.

**snipped reports from other countries***

Bloomberg - Are you a robot?

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ajGsY8uGv1AE&refer=home

**yielddude** · January 16, 2007, 01:38 PM

Re: Outbreak in Thailand

Hunt for 2 workers from bird-flu farm

Phitsanulok health officials are searching for two farm workers who disappeared from the duck farm where the bird-flu virus was found.

The two men went missing some time after the infection was detected on the farm in Tambon Chumpol of the province's Muang district on Monday, said Kitti Puthikanont, acting head of the Disease Control Division 9 in Phitsanulok.

The two were among three workers hired to take care of around 2,000 ducks at the farm before about 100 birds fell dead and were later found by livestock authorities to have the H5N1 strain of bird flu, he said.

Neither of them were checked if they had the virus despite having lived and worked inside the farm where the ducks were raised, said Public Health Minister Dr Mongkol na Songkhla.

Three others - two farm owners and a hired worker who also lived at the farm - were under a bird-flu observation programme, Kitti said.

Mongkol ordered the Phitsanulok disease control division to search for the missing men to ensure they were safe from the bird-flu virus, saying the two men might have just been frightened by the ducks dying of bird flu.

Kitti said some ducks had started dying in October and there were a huge number of deaths on January 9 when the farm reported to the provincial livestock authorities.

The Department of Livestock Development confirmed on Monday ducks at the Phitsanulok farm died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu. All remaining ducks were then culled and buried.

People who work in close contact with poultry and the transporting and slaughtering of poultry for food were of particular concern during this bird-flu alert period, said Mongkol.

Media campaigns on how to avoid getting bird flu were needed to raise public awareness, especially for the above-mentioned group of people, the minister said.

Education about bird flu had been done extensively since the first wave of bird-flu epidemics in 2004 and the public seemed to be well aware of the disease, he said.

"However, others are afraid to report to the authorities right at the beginning for fear of losing their animals," Mongkol said.

As for the high-risk group, including poultry farm workers and disease control teams, about 300,000 doses of human influenza vaccine were available for free at all provincial health offices, said Dr Thawat Suntrajarn, head of Disease Control Department.

The Public Health Ministry said it had stockpiles of about 800,000 tablets of the anti-virus oseltamiar (or Tamiflu) to treat up to 80,000 patients in the event of human infection.

About 800,000 health volunteers across the country were also ordered to stay on high alert and look for signs of bird flu in their communities to prevent the further spread of the virus to humans, said Mongkol.

Livestock Department head Yukol Limlamthong said separately that authorities were going to closely watch for bird flu during the upcoming Chinese New Year festival, which usually sees brisk trade of fowls across the country.

"We will step up preventative measures during the festival and other periods marked with extensive movements of birds," Yukol said.

Ethnic Chinese usually buy chickens and ducks as cooked offerings for Chinese New Year rites.

Yukol said his department was going to inspect slaughterhouses to ensure they would not spread the deadly virus. He said the Agriculture Ministry hoped to detect bird-flu at no more than 10 locations this year.

Currently, lab tests have confirmed there were bird-flu infections at a duck farm in Phitsanulok's Muang district. The whole district was now declared a "bird-flu outbreak zone", which barred poultry from being moved in or out.

The neighbouring province of Phichit has now set up checkpoints to prevent fowl being moved there.

Arthit Khwankhom

The Nation

http://nationmultimedia.com/2007/01/17/national/national_30024342.php

**Jeremy** · January 16, 2007, 01:42 PM

Re: Outbreak in Thailand

Kitti said some ducks had started dying in October and there were a huge number of deaths on January 9 when the farm reported to the provincial livestock authorities.

Looks like the reporting in Thailand isn't very timely.

**Sharpe** · January 16, 2007, 02:10 PM

Re: Outbreak in Thailand

Worldwide, this is much more the rule than the exception. In fact, in this case, it is likely simply a continuation of the July epidemic.

Originally posted by Jeremy

Kitti said some ducks had started dying in October and there were a huge number of deaths on January 9 when the farm reported to the provincial livestock authorities.

Looks like the reporting in Thailand isn't very timely.

**AlaskaDenise** · January 19, 2007, 06:26 AM

Re: Outbreak in Thailand

http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=27383

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" bgColor=#f0f0f0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=tblnewshead colSpan=2>Songkhla on bird flu alert

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=tblnewshead colSpan=2>SONGKHLA, Jan 19 (TNA) - Officials in Thailand's southern province of Songkhla have tightened measures to prevent an outbreak of bird flu after the deadly virus was found earlier this week in northern province of
Phitsanulok.

Although bird flu virus has not been found in Songkhla, the border officials are strictly controlling poultry transport across the Thai-Malaysian border to prevent chicken products possibly infected with the deadly virus from being smuggled into the country, according to provincial officials.

Songkhla livestock authorities are disinfecting chicken and duck farms in all 16 districts as well as conducting random checks on poultry all over the province, the officials said.

Provincial livestock chief Mrs. Sophit Thanyalaksanakul said that Thai officials were seeking cooperation from customs officials in preventing the smuggling of chicken parts from Malaysia into the Kingdom. (TNA)

Last Update : 2007-01-19 / 16:36:06 (GMT+7:00)
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**wdcare** · January 19, 2007, 07:18 AM

Re: Outbreak in Thailand

China View is reporting 26 suspected cases in N. Thailand:

感谢您的浏览！ - 新华网

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-01/19/content_5627210.htm

**Snowy Owl** · January 19, 2007, 07:27 AM

Re: Outbreak in Thailand

In Steveosteen post from army in our French Forum
http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=15304

armees.com published Friday January 19, 2007

A total of 26 suspect human cases of aviary influenza were announced in the province of Phitsanulok, in the north of Thailand, since they fell sick after having contacted of the died poultry, to Friday the person in charge for the public health of the province announced, Thawatchai Kamoltham.

This person in charge specified that 15 of the 26 people whose symptoms are similar to those of the virus of aviary influenza fatal H5N1, were civils servant taking share with the selection of the infected poultry.

The others are of the villagers come from the districts of Muang, Wat Bote and Rakam Bang, added Mr. Thawatchai.

However, only three of the 26 people were allowed at the hospital, when the others are followed closely in their houses.

The Center of control of the aviary influenza of Thailand had announced Monday that a hundred ducks had died last week in a farm of the province of Phitsanulok, where "virus H5N1 was detected".

The local medical authorities had stated to have established a medical cord around the farm for two weeks, like measures precaution.

Approximately 600 ducks in this farm were cut down. It is also reported that about thirty pigs in the province of Phitsanulok would have contracted the aviary influenza

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Outbreak in Thailand

Outbreak in Thailand

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