4 More Suspected Bird Flu Cases Found In Thailand

[george]

4 more suspected bird flu cases found in Thailand

BANGKOK: -- Four more suspected bird flu patients were detected Monday in Thailand, adding the total numberof suspected cases in the kingdom to 68 after the reemergence of the virus in July.

A five-year-old girl and a 10-month-old infant from Thailand's central Prachinburi province were hospitalized on Monday with symptoms of avian flu, Dr Surachet Sathidniramai, a provincial health official was quoted by The Nation newspaper as saying on Tuesday.

The girl had fallen ill with a cough and fever, said her mother,adding that the family's home in Ban Sang district was a chicken-raising area.

With symptoms of respiratory infection, the infant was sent to Kabin Buri district hospital on Aug. 30. Despite medical treatmentfor the past two week, the baby's condition has not improved.

The infant's family raised 20 chickens and all of them died before he fell ill, said the public health permanent secretary Charal Trinvudhipong. The infant is now being closely watched by medical staff.

Meanwhile, Kamnuan Ungchusak, director of the Bureau of epidemiology said two unidentified woman, aged 43 and 52, from Phitsanulok's Noen Maprang district were added to the watch list.

After the epidemic erupted again in Thailand this July, 68 patients have been reported with bird flu-like symptoms, among whom 59 have been taken off the watchlist.

In Prachinburi, doctors said the four other children on the watchlist are getting better. They are awaiting results from the Medical Science department.

The four came from the same district where a 18-year-old boy died of bird flu disease last week.

The boy's death has raised the number of people killed by the epidemic in Thailand this year to nine and in Asia to 28.

During the first outbreak of the fatal disease in January, eight people died in Thailand while about 60 million fowl were culled, causing billions of baht in damage to its economy.

In a bid to minimize adverse effect, Thai government has been considering the use of vaccine to curb the spread of the virus formonths.

However, the proposed use of vaccine by fighting cock-raisers aroused strong opposition from a large number of local chicken farmers, who on Monday gathered in front of the Agriculture Ministry demanding the government scarp the idea of vaccines. Theyclaimed this would affect their livelihood as other countries would not import Thai chicken.

Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisaeng, who chaired Monday's meeting of the national committee on bird flu eradication, said human safety was a priority in determining whether or not the country should use bird flu vaccines.

He meanwhile added the poultry export trade was also a major factor need to be taken into account. The final decision on the issue will be made on Wednesday.

-- Agencies 2004-09-14

[george]

Bird flu outbreak hits Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: -- Malaysia has detected a new outbreak of bird flu in a village in north-east Kelantan state, the sixth to be hit by the deadly virus in a month, officials announced today.

A 26-year-old man and an eight-year-old girl were admitted to hospital for observation after developing coughs and flu-like symptoms, the director of the Health Ministry's Disease Control Division, Ramlee Rahmat said.

"They have a history of contact with the dying chickens," he said.

The H5 strain of avian flu was detected in quail less than 10 kilometres from the first village where the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, responsible for 28 human deaths in Asia, was discovered last month, the veterinary department said.

Culling of the quail and other poultry in the area would begin immediately, Hawari Hussein, director-general of the Veterinary Department, said in a statement.

"No signs of H5 infection have been detected outside the 10-kilometre quarantine zone, nationwide surveillance continues," Hawari said.

Officials announced yesterday that the entire Kelantan state was under intensive monitoring after three new outbreaks were announced over the weekend, with more than 200 officers conducting clinical checks at wet markets, bird sanctuaries and pet shops.

Officials say the disease was first brought into Malaysia by fighting cocks that had been exposed to the virus in Thailand and that the new outbreaks were caused by the continued smuggling of chicken meat.

Malaysia is seeking an urgent meeting with Thai authorities to discuss measures to combat the spread of the virus.

--Agencies 2004-09-14

[Narachon]

It's only a matter of time before the bird flu virus mutates....It only takes One person with a common cold coming into contact with a infected chicken....... That patient zero would not be detected for some time, allowing for further spread of the disease, with by then, would be highly contagious....The resulting super flu would make even Sars like...the common cold.

It could and would be much worse than the influenza Pandemics of the early 20th century, with deaths in the hundreds of millions......

Hopefully, if this new Mutate super virus does appear, it can be contained...If not.....

[george]

29 Thais on list of suspected bird-flu cases

BANGKOK: -- Thai health officials said on Thursday that at least 13 more patients have been added to a watchlist after falling sick with bird-flu-like symptoms. These are additional suspected cases to another 16 people who have been under a close health monitoring.

Pipat Yingseri, an official inspector of the Ministry of PublicHealth, was quoted by the Thai News Agency as saying that the 29 suspect people are waiting for their test results, adding that at least 27 of the suspected cases were from the bird-flu stricken province of Prachinburi, eastern Thailand.

Doctor Pipat said the government has monitored the second bird-flu outbreak from July until the middle of this month. During the monitoring period, only one patient had been confirmed to have died of bird-flu virus.

Prachinburi has been under a close surveillance after a man died after contracting H5N1, the lethal avian flu virus, from his fighting cocks last week.

He became the ninth who died of bird-flu in the kingdom.

The bird-flu outbreak hit Thailand's poultry early this year, and killed eight people nationwide before it was contained.

However, the country has recently faced a second wave of the avian flu.

In the meantime, the Thai government has decided to ban the vaccination in all kind of birds except among the country's endangered species, rare wild birds and fighting cocks on Wednesday

--Agencies 2004-09-16

[Narachon]

Only the tip of the iceberg, so to speak....

[Rinrada]

Mr T has just been on ITV (UK) suggesting that the new outbreak is due to the punters who are in/and control the cock fighting game hiding their little birds somewhere in their back yards to avoid them being nominated for a night out at the local KFC social club.

Malaysia also recons that their outbreak is due to smuggling from LOS of the same "cluks" exploiting their upright citizens gambling instincts.

WHO say this one could be bigger than last time and it could be time to get out the paper masks ...again...........O dear dear