New H5N1 bird flu outbreak confirmed in hens in northeastern Thailand
Pastor Dale Morgan
New H5N1 bird flu outbreak confirmed in hens in northeastern Thailand*
25.01.2007
Source: pravda.ru
A fresh outbreak of the deadly H5N1 bird flu has been found in hens in
northeastern Thailand, livestock officials said Wednesday.
The outbreak of the virus was confirmed by laboratory tests after the
deaths of about 200 chickens were reported in Nong Khai province last
week, said Nirand Uaebumrungsut, a veterinarian with the Agriculture
Ministry's Department of Livestock Development.
Last week, livestock officials reported the country's first outbreak in
almost six months of H5N1, in ducks in the northern Thai province of
Phitsanulok.
In Nong Khai, a province bordering Laos, "The virus was found in egg
hens in a chicken farm and we have ordered around 2,000 chickens in the
farm to be killed," said Nirand.
The department has been gathering birds from within a 5-kilometer
(3-mile) radius of the outbreak to be culled. It will also keep watch to
stop the illegal movement of birds in the area. Both actions are
standard practices when outbreaks are found.
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 163
people around the world, according to the World Health Organization.
There have been 17 human deaths in Thailand, all linked to contact with
sick birds. WHO fears the virus could mutate into a form that easily
spreads among humans, possibly sparking a pandemic.
In Bangkok, bird flu experts at a regional meeting urged Asian countries
Monday to be on heightened alert for new outbreaks ahead of the upcoming
Chinese New Year and Tet holidays, amid a resurgence in the deadly virus
around the region, reports AP.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been new bird flu flare-ups
in China, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.
The number of outbreaks so far in 2007 are "significantly lower" than
previous in years, but the virus typically flourishes this time of year,
U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization officials told a news conference
in Bangkok.