Thailand - Phichit Province (2006)

[Sharpe]

Re: THAILAND [Phichit] - [Three] Several new suspected cases in Phichit

The two towns mentioned are circled in red. One of them, Taphan Hin, is where two sisters were hospitalized for suspected bf 5 days ago. The blue circle is where 2000 poultry died at the beginning of the month and a girl was hospitalized. Green is where many of the suspected patients are taken. Phichit is only 40 by 40 miles by the way.

[Theresa42]

Re: THAILAND [Phichit] - [Three] Several new suspected cases in Phichit

From Dr. Niman, post #8:

Officials found bird flu when they conducted tests on the birds after 31 chickens died in Phichit province's Bangmunnak district, said Nirandorn Auengtrakulsuk, head of the Agriculture Ministry's Disease Control Department.

'Bang' or 'Ban' in Thai is village/town -- so this 34F bf suspect is from the town where H5N1 has been confirmed. She is from the village "moon nâak" -- or Ban Moon Naak -- Bangmunnak. Same place.

http://www.travelpost.com/AS/Thailand/Phichit/Ban_Mun_Nak/map/2125223

[Theresa42]

Re: THAILAND [Phichit] - [Three] Several new suspected cases in Phichit

The two towns mentioned are circled in red. One of them, Taphan Hin, is where two sisters were hospitalized for suspected bf 5 days ago. The blue circle is where 2000 poultry died at the beginning of the month and a girl was hospitalized. Green is where many of the suspected patients are taken. Phichit is only 40 by 40 miles by the way.

They've got bf in Phichit and they've got it bad. They have infected people. No doubt.

[Siamese]

Re: THAILAND [Phichit] - [Three] Several new suspected cases in Phichit

Phichit's avian-flu outbreak contained

The deadly bird-flu virus has struck for the first time this year.


Officials admitted yesterday the disease had killed birds

in Phichit, but caretaker Agri-culture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said the outbreak had been contained.

After weeks of reports of suspected bird-flu deaths in poultry in several areas, livestock authorities announced yesterday that tests had come back positive for the virus.

Laboratory results found at least 20 samples taken from dead fighting birds in Phichit were positive for bird flu, Sudarat said in a statement.

The bird's owners were free of the virus, she said.

Quarantine had been imposed within a radius of one kilometre from where the birds died. The transport of all birds had been prohibited.

The ministry admitted the virus had been detected in samples of chicken sent to Thailand for testing by neighbouring countries.

Thailand immediately banned the import of all forms of poultry, said Sudarat.

The Health Ministry and Phichit officials were stepping up checks for flu symptoms in people, Disease Control Department director-general Dr Tawat Suntharacharn said.

Teams of epidemiologists

had been dispatched to Phichit

to assist local disease experts.

Fifteen suspected bird-flu patients were taken off the watch list yesterday after tests proved negative.

Two of those were from Phichit, said Dr Paijit Warachit, head of the Medical Sciences Department.

Meanwhile, Phitsanulok has reported a five-year-old boy may be suffering from the virus and Uttaradit has three new suspected cases.
Both provinces continue to report unexplained poultry deaths.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2006...l_30009471.php

[Sharpe]

Re: THAILAND [Phichit] - [Three] Several new suspected cases in Phichit

I love statements like the bolded ones. They're so clueless.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/25Jul2006_news03.php

AVIAN FLU DISEASE RETURNS AFTER EIGHT MONTHS

H5N1 virus outbreak confirmed in Phichit

POST REPORTERS

The eight-month bird flu-free hiatus in Thailand ended yesterday as the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry confirmed a fresh outbreak of the H5N1 virus in the northern province of Phichit. The confirmation came shortly after poultry farmers and an outgoing senator accused the ministry of covering up the re-emergence of the deadly disease after massive deaths of poultry in many provinces from early this month.

The ministry had repeatedly denied bird flu had recurred but eventually verified the outbreak yesterday.

The Livestock Development Department's lab detected the avian flu virus in a fighting cock carcass from Bang Mun Nak district. This was where almost 300 fowls had been culled after the mysterious deaths of around 30 fighting cocks and free-range chickens two weeks ago, caretaker Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan told a press conference.

Khunying Sudarat, however, tried to ease public concerns over the detection of the bird flu virus.

''Finding the virus in an area that used to be plagued with the disease like Bang Mun Nak district is considered to be a common thing. It would be more frightening if the virus was found in a bird flu-free zone,'' she said.

Outgoing senator Nirun Phitakwatchara, who earlier accused the ministry of covering up the re-emergence of bird flu for fear the country's poultry exports would be hit, called on Khunying Sudarat to resign to take responsibility for mismanagement of bird flu monitoring and delayed confirmation of the outbreak.

Dr Nirun claimed that local livestock officials told him that the H5N1 virus had been detected over a week ago, but the ministry had covered it up.

''The Agriculture Ministry has once again put export income ahead of people's lives,'' said Dr Nirun, referring to the ministry's alleged concealment of avian influenza when it first struck the country in early-2004.

He also urged state officials to stop conspiring with politicians in covering up such disease outbreaks.

Nirundorn Aungtragoolsuk, director of the Livestock Development Department's Disease Control Bureau insisted that test results had confirmed the bird flu outbreak late yesterday morning and the ministry had informed the public right away.

Dr Nirundorn said the virus was unlikely to spread since all fowls in the infected area had been culled from Saturday.

The department had now employed extreme measures to contain the outbreak, including imposing a total ban on fowl movements in the province and sealing borders to prevent smuggling of poultry from neighbouring countries.

The department had reported the re-emergence of the disease to the World Organisation for Animal Health and major importers of Thai cooked chicken.

The area within a 10-km radius of the infected farm had been put under a 21-day surveillance.

The Public Health Ministry, meanwhile, reported yesterday that an 11-year-old boy from Phichit had been listed as the country's latest suspected bird flu case.

A blood sample from the boy had been sent for testing. Results were pending for another seven suspected cases.

[pamwv41]

Suspected Bird Flu Case Found in Thailand

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/pr...ectid=10392858 Suspected bird flu case found in Thailand
11.20pm Tuesday July 25, 2006

A strain of bird flu has been found in chickens in Thailand and it may prove to be the deadly H5N1 virus.
Officials say the virus is detected on a farm in the northern province of Pichit, one of seven "red zone" provinces where surveillance was stepped up this month.
An 11-year-old girl is in a Pichit hospital with flu-like symptoms after chickens died on her family farm, a doctor told Reuters.
Test results are due later today and if H5N1 is confirmed, it will be Thailand's first outbreak in nearly nine months.
The virus has killed 14 Thais since it first arrived in the country in late 2003. The last death occurred in December 2005.
- RADIO AUSTRALIA

[Theresa42]

Thailand faces renewed avian flu fight

Thailand faces renewed avian flu fight

Jul 24, 2006 (CIDRAP News) ? Thailand is facing its first outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza in birds in 8 months, along with flu-like illnesses in a number of people in areas with sick birds, according to news services.

Thai agriculture officials said the virus was identified in a fighting cock from the northern province of Phichit, the Bangkok Post reported in a story published late today. The dead bird was from Bang Mun Nak district, where almost 300 birds were culled after the mysterious deaths of about 30 poultry 2 weeks ago, the story said.

The confirmation came shortly after poultry farmers and a senator accused the agriculture ministry of covering up the re-emergence of the disease following "massive deaths of poultry in many provinces" starting early in July, the newspaper reported.

Earlier today, the Thai newspaper The Nation said Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan confirmed that 20 samples of dead fighting birds from Phichit had tested positive for avian flu, according to a report today by The Nation. Agence France-Press (AFP) quoted him as saying the virus was an H5 strain, but it was not yet known if it was H5N1.

Sudarat said the virus was detected in imported chickens, and he announced a ban on poultry imports, The Nation reported. To contain the outbreak, he said, officials have imposed quarantine near where the birds died and have prohibited the transport of birds.

Two other provinces, Phitsanulok and Uttaradit, also are reporting suspicious poultry deaths, The Nation said.

Meanwhile, a number of suspected human cases of avian flu have been reported. A United Press International report published 2 days ago said local news media were reporting that two sisters, aged 3 and 4, were in a Phichit hospital with suspected avian flu and that lab results were expected by July 27.

Today The Nation reported that three other patients were hospitalized in Phichit: two men, aged 59 and 86, and a 7-year-old boy. All three were reported to have had contact with dead chickens. Also, a Reuters report said an 11-year-old girl with flu-like symptoms was being treated in a Phichit hospital after chickens died on her family's farm.

In addition, a report yesterday in The Nation said two men, aged 67 and 35, were hospitalized in Uttaradit Provincial Hospital with avian flu?like symptoms that developed after they ate spotted doves. The report said blood samples were taken for testing at a nearby laboratory.

Fifteen other patients, two of them from Phichit, had been on a watch list for suspected avian influenza but were removed after tests came back negative, The Nation reported today. But the disease has not been ruled out in a 5-year-old boy from Phitsanulok, and Uttaradit province has three patients with flu-like symptoms, the story said.

Thailand has not had a confirmed human H5N1 case since last December. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the country had 17 human cases with 12 deaths in 2004. Five more cases, two of them fatal, occurred in 2005.

Sudarat, the Thai agriculture minister, had said on Jul 6 that he hoped the country would be entirely free of avian flu within 3 years. At that point there had been no outbreaks in 239 days, he said.

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/avianflu/news/jul2406thailand.html

[Theresa42]

Another article about the 2 latest bf suspected cases from Phichit

Also, 39M & 59M reportedly do not have bf, but only ordinary flu...

Machine translated from Thai:

Bird flu resurrect 2 cases Phichit suspected!
โดย ผู้จัดการรายวัน 25 กรกฎาคม 2549 01:42 น.

"Bird flu" resurrect around 4 discover in fighting cock place province Phichit after chicken die unusual 20 bodies [?] is illness very much/a lot immunity little when there is report find people infected with suspected bird flu 2 cases livestock province announce area house [?] olive at the present time 11 basically that red back discover virus H5N1 in chicken domestic when bureau control illness explain also to be no patient infected with prepare send team investigate illness down area already.

M.R. [name] watch over minister govern Ministry of Agriculture disclose that center research & development task veterinarian the North (section lower) Department of Livestock obtain report task discover virus bird flu amount 1 sample in fighting cock which alive fighting cock of Mr. Chumpon [name?] apply to be home number 95 meter 11 district [?] olive district Baang Moon Naak province Phichit.

Because authority domestic animal/livestock receive report from villager that there is chicken die like unusual since date 16 July preceding amount 20 bodies from amount fighting cock absolutely of Mr. Chumpon amount 295 bodies then authority veterinarian from office domestic animal/livestock province can enter carry out collect sample poultry (conical swab) send diagnose to center research and development veterniarian the North (section lower) province Phitsanulok after find virus by authority livestock can destroy all.

In order that from task find virus aforementioned affect to Thailand there is chronicle/record find virus bird flu total already all 4 round is cycle/anniversary first/initial period among date 23 ม.ค. 2547 (2004)-24 พ.ย. 2547 cycle/anniversary second 3 ม.ค. 2548 (2005)-12 เม.ย. 2548 cycle/anniversary third 1 July 2548 (2005)-9 พ.ย. 2548 and at present 24 July 2549 (2006) respectively which task find virus in this time there is interval from task find virus time latest 254 days.

M.R. [name] say blame cause in task find virus this time anticipate/predict that because weather that there is rain abundantly in area that long more 2 months cause virus disease to be in air/oxygen/climate get for a long time include with chicken alive sickness very much make give evidence spray water/fluid disinfectant of by Department of Livestock be inefficient because chicken there is physical condition that be young/be weak when meet virus bird flu in air/oxygen/climate then make infect with can easily.

For task find virus aforementioned that expect that will not affect exporting chicken cook anyway because preceding Thailand can there is task report against organization international always but exporting chicken be fresh/live that might must [?] be long go out like to be no specification because previously by faculty deed EU just [?] task import chicken fresh/live from Thailand go out like to be no specification and will there is meeting for consider is end of year 2550 (2007).

M.R. [name] say that previously by ministry farmland cannont/did not suppress news anyhow thought will there is patient suspected place Phichit previously much cases already no matter but result diagnose from laboratory all patient and chicken place suspected previously not find virus anyhow.

Area Chief [name] Thailand director-general Department of Livestock say that result task inspect aforementioned succeed task inspect be quiet start also method RT-PCR which confirm that is virus bird flu type H5 and power to be among inspect claim is N type any/which in order that office/bureau domestic animal/livestock province Phichit get inform data task find virus bird flu aforementioned opposed to public health province Phichit already for watch be on the lookout for in person continually.

Find person infect with suspected 2 cases

Situation bird flu place Phichit also should worry about find patient suspected infect with increase again/more 2 cases when domestical animal province announce area home olive group 11 basically place red back find virus H5N1 in chicken domestic.

Doctor female [name] director hospital Phichit disclose that yesterday this (24 July) receive patient suspected infected with bird flu increase more amount 2 cases is man Thai age 26 year from district Dta Paan Hin and female Thai age 34 year from district Baang Moon Naak.

Patient both cases suspected that infected with bird flu is there is symptom fever high cough ache muscle breathe fatigued and there is history touch chicken domestic that one by one die amount 40 bodies already catch carcass chicken too much bury destroy include bring carcass chicken place die come cook/prepare eat later again 2-3 days also die sick put down.

(repeat of previous article...)

Department control disease send team down Phichit

[Name?] director-general department control disease say that in case of ministry farmland declare that find virus measure bird in poultry place province Phichit that until at present (24 July) ask for assure that also not find patient infected with bird flu anyhow and patient that there is symptom resemble bird flu that spread in much province that from result virus also not find virus bird flu include patient cases lately 2 cases that is man age 39 year and 59 year from hospital ทับคล้อ that analysis result virus also not find virus bird flu but is virus influenza ordinary only.

"Receive report from Department of Livestock that find chicken infected with bird flu place district Baang Moon Naak province Phichit which I can offer/permit [?] rumor cover up [?] deputy director department control disease and [?] figure/count be silent raise power director institute epidemiology bring together with provincial governor Phichit and institute in area and prepare team investigate disease from center down go enhance tea investigate disease in area in order that happen strictness increase," [name] say.

For task control task spread of bird flu in person that by Ministry of Public Health look after method strict according to strategy that set down keep by will think provided that find chicken die unusual in area any permit manage likewise that chicken land die is bird flu for keep an eye on be careful task infected with in person because do not have to wait for result examine analyze virus from laboratory but seize/sequester safety of person mainly.

http://www.manager.co.th/Daily/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9490000094800&Keyword=%e4%a2%e9%cb%c7%d1%b4%b9%a1

[Theresa42]

Re: THAILAND [Phichit] - [Three] Several new suspected cases in Phichit

An 11-year-old girl was in a Pichit hospital on Monday with flu-like symptoms after chickens died on her family farm, a doctor told Reuters. Test results are due on Tuesday.

"The chickens started to die on July 8 and she helped her mother bury the dead chickens without any protective gear...."

Wild speculation: the 34F from Bangmunnak who disposed of her dead chickens is the mother of the 11F. Do we know where exactly in Phichit the girl is from -- like which village?

Like I said, wild speculation -- I have nothing to base this on -- just a hunch.

[Sharpe]

Re: THAILAND [Phichit] - [Three] Several new suspected cases in Phichit

Unfortunately, I doubt they'll ever tell us, Theresa, but it wouldn't be the first time.

[Theresa42]

Update from the Nakhon Sawan DPC - July 25, 2006

July 25: 27 suspected human bf cases "on investigation." Sixteen (16) new suspected cases reported on the 25th from Phichit province. Two (2) cases seem to have been excluded from the 24th to the 25th -- the one case from Uthani Thani that was "on investigation" yesterday and one case from Phichit.

The breakdown - "on investigation" as of July 25:
Nakhon Sawan = 0
Uthani Thani = 0
Kamphaeng Phet = 0
Phichit = 27

http://dpc8.ddc.moph.go.th/db8/disease/04_bird_day/index.php

http://dpc8.ddc.moph.go.th/db8/disease/04_bird_day/up/group4_H2bwjsx25072006.pdf

[Jeremy]

Re: THAILAND [Phichit] - [Three] Several new suspected cases in Phichit

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/h...d-flu_outbreak
Bangkok - Thailand's reluctance to admit that bird flu has broken out again after eight virus-free months was 'dissappointing,' European diplomats monitoring the situation said Tuesday.

Agriculture Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan confirmed on Monday a fresh outbreak of the H5N1 virus in the northern province of Pichit.

But local farmers had claimed two weeks ago that fighting cocks and ordinary chickens were dying with all the symptoms of bird flu.

Diplomats said the official and unofficial reports of bird flu-like deaths 'don't look good' and that more outbreaks were likely to reported over the coming weeks. Laos recently admitted that bird flu had appeared again after a period of almost two years.

European observers said it was damaging to Thailand's credibility to delay confirming outbreaks of bird flu, which also slowed down the official containment measures such as culling and isolating the affected areas.

Thailand recently sought European Community permission to resume its exports of fresh and quick-frozen poultry, after an eight-month period without any appearance of the H5N1 virus.

The EC had announced earlier this month that its ban on fresh poultry imports from China, Thailand and Malaysia would remain in place until the end of 2007.

Thai Senator Nirun Phitakwatchara accused the ministry of resorting to its 'old tricks' of trying to suppress bird-flu news in an effort to protect poultry exports.

'The Agriculture Ministry has once again put export income ahead of people's lives,' Nirun told the Bangkok Post.

The authorities were criticized for allegedly covering up the initial outbreaks of bird flu in Thailand in early 2004.

Officials with the Livestock Development Department's Disease Control Bureau said that all fowl near the infected farm in Pichit had been culled over the weekend and a ban placed on all movement fowl in the infected province.

The recurrence of bird flu was suspected a fortnight ago following the deaths of some 30 fighting cocks and free-range chickens.

The Public Health Ministry reported that an 11-year-old boy from Pichit had become Thailand's latest suspected bird-flu case. Blood samples from a total of eight suspected victims were currently being tested, it added.

[Theresa42]

Poultry deaths in another area of Phichit province / locals culling birds themselves

Sounds like there's massive poultry deaths in another place in Phichit province called Nern Má-Bpraang ("เนิน มะปราง") -- haven't figured out where it is. The reporter in this article interviews several villagers where the poultry deaths are happening and to me it sounds like they are saying they are forced to cull/collect the birds themselves because the Department of Livestock is just not there (too busy elsewhere?).

Don't have time to translate the whole thing just now -- there are photos if you follow the link.

Machine-translated from Thai:

District Roi Dtor Phichit - Phitsanulok chicken die in a great number / livestock destroy cannot
โดย ผู้จัดการออนไลน์ 25 กรกฎาคม 2549 15:46 น.

Phitsanulok - Be afraid of virus bird flu be prevalent all village place "[?] Marian Plum" ("เนิน มะปราง") [Nern Má-Bpraang] city two แควร อยต่อ Phichit dwelling chicken domestic die in a great number much village type only with get virus H5N1 until livestock send person enter destroy cannot.

Even if center research and development task veterinarian the North part lower district Wang Tong Phitsanulok will assure that carcass that die sick die in area the North part lower all Phitsanulok Phichit Sukhothai also not appear result task survey [?] but violence of poultry that die down advance village still happen include there is sick person suspected enter accept treatment body that hospital continuously until fear prevent that virus bird flu will spread repeatedly rise again.

Lately reporter can travel to also house recently 2 and flock 12 house small district Marian Plum (Ma Bpraang) province Phitsanulok find that previously there is institute livestock Phitsanulok enter destroy poultry but not cover/include every village cause there is chicken again a great number of power die down continuously which Mrs. [name] succeed to villages number 202 group 12 house/village few Kee Lek say that chicken that according to locals that there is to 60-70 bodies die go terminate already remain not even 10 bodies from period 1-2 days before also there is symptoms usually due to before die occur convulsion wriggle 2-3 the last time be motionless too much self then can dig hole bury too much around already.

Mrs. [name] say more preceding livestock come distribute money and enter destroy chicken also but very near due to that house/village self cannot enter destroy then remain chicken a great number of but to be at also happen die only suddenly due to not understand cause know only that following smell be hurt.

When villagers location house next be Mr. [name] say that chicken that village just now die period 2 day last disease cholera chicken certainly because Bai Naa chicken domestic be dark wriggle only not how much time also die some bodies dig go hunting/seek for food unexpectedly also die immediately self keep to share 50 bodies now remain only 10 bodies only.

Mr. [name] house number that 263 flock 2 say that chicken that to be at one by one die more than 20 bodies already must dig hole bury to be at daily which really if bury carcass chicken die only also may cannot accept compensation from state but must do because chicken die daily not can wait for authority livestock latest receive task communicate from authority that will enter destroy chicken again permit prepare flirt keep self then can bring chicken die on plastic bag keep for yes compensation kilogram each 45 baht....

http://www.manager.co.th/Local/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9490000095006&Keyword=%e4%a2%e9%cb%c7%d1%b4%b9%a1

[Sharpe]

Re: THAILAND [Phichit] - [Three] Several new suspected cases in Phichit

The reason you're finding "Noen Maprang" hard to find is because it's not in Phichit, but in the province to the north of Phitsanoluk. Specifically, it is the southeastern-most part of that province that's doing the culling. It is #9 in this Wikipedia map. Based on the article, they are also having similar problems in "Wang Thong" (#8).
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Im...hitsanulok.png

[Sharpe]

Re: THAILAND [Phichit] - [Three] Several new suspected cases in Phichit

They mention the Wang Thong district in this new article again.

http://etna.mcot.net/query.php?nid=23592

Suspicious death of chickens in northern province

PHISANULOK, July 25 (TNA) - An undisclosed number of poultry were found dead of unknown causes Monday in Wang Thong District of Phisanulok Province in Thailand's northern region.

The announcement was made shortly after the kingdom's Ministry of Public Health confirmed the presence of the avian influenza virus in dead domestic chickens in the adjacent province of Phichit.

The suspicious deaths of chickens were reported in five Phitsanulok sub-districts, as livestock officials reported having destroying 6,000 chickens between July12-24 to prevent a possible new outbreak of the disease.

So far there has been no reported human acquisition of bird flu from these poultry populations and lab tests have not indicated any of the dead chickens in Phisanulok as testing
positive for the virus.

Meanwhile, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Yongyuth Tiyapairat said Tuesday that his ministry oversees migratory birds, while the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives monitors domestic and commercial poultry and the Ministry of Public Health is in charge of controlling any outbreak of contagion.

The three agencies work well together, Mr. Yongyuth said.

He said that his ministry has inspected several areas frequented by migratory birds, especially at Bueng Boraphet, Thailand's largest lake in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan.

Bueng Boraphet lake and swamp is a rich nature reserve teemimg with wild animals and rare species of waterfowl and is well-known as a popular place for bird watching.

Until now, preventive measures against bird flu in Thailand have been adequate to tackle the problem, Mr. Yongyuth stated, and the international community has praised Thailand for its public health standard.

(TNA)--E004