Thailand Confirms More Bird Flu Outbreaks

[News_Editor]

Thailand confirms more bird flu outbreaks

BANGKOK: -- Thailand confirmed more outbreaks of the deadly bird flu among chickens on Thursday and now has recurrences of the deadly virus that swept through much of Asia earlier this year in nine of its 76 provinces.

"Bird flu is confirmed among chickens in Kamphaeng Phet province," said a statement posted on the Livestock Department's website: www.dld.go.th, referring to an area north of Bangkok.

Almost 40,000 fowl had been culled in the latest outbreaks, officials said.

Suspected cases of bird flu in chicken and ducks had beem reported in five districts of Bangkok and samples had been sent for testing, they said. The results would be known in a few days.

--Reuters 2004-07-15

[News_Editor]

Over 3,000 chickens destroyed in Sukhothai and Khon Kaen

SUKHOTHAI: -- Agricultural officials in this northern province of Sukhothai and the northeastern province of Khon Kaen yesterday destroyed over 3,000 chickens in an attempt to halt the latest outbreak of the avian flu virus.

In Sukhothai, nearly 3,000 chickens in Klong Yang, Pa Kum Ko, and Dong Khu Sub-districts were buried.

Farmers across the province also carried out mass slaughters of their poultry stock.

In Khon Kaen, 600 chickens of a farm in Ta Kra Serm Sub-district were culled after over 10% of the chickens in the farm have died, and were suspected to have contracted avian flu.

Amidst fears that the virus could spread further, Provincial Governors of the two provinces, Mr. Sukit Charoenrattanakun and Mr. Jeth Thanavat, yesterday convened meetings of provincial agriculture and health officials in their respective provinces to lay down measures to control the disease.

Under the proposals, any suspected cases of bird flu among poultry stock will mean the immediate destruction of all poultry within a five kilometre radius.

Public health officials in the provinces have also been asked to inform the public on how to protect themselves against the virus, and prevent its spread to other areas.

Provincial livestock officials met in Bangkok yesterday to co-ordinate a common approach to dealing with the fresh outbreak of bird flu.

These include the immediate destruction of all chickens in any farms where some 10% of the fowls have died suspiciously, the Director-General of the Department of Livestock Development, Yukol Limlamthong told TNA.

"The culling of fowls suspected of having contracted avian flu is to be conducted after local livestock officials have reported to provincial governors in their respective provinces," Mr. Yukol said.

Blood tests of poultry will also be conducted in every farm across the country from the end of July.

Any fowls found to have avian flu will immediately culled, Mr. Yukol added.

Studies are also to be conducted on a bird flu prevention vaccine.

The government will allocate a Bt60 million budget for all the operations over the next two years.

More than 10,000 chickens have been culled since the fresh outbreak of bird flu last week.

-- TNA 2004-07-15

[astral]

Up goes the price of eggs again!!