First Cases Of Bird Flu Confirmed In Thailand

[mrentoul]

The European Union ban on Thai chicken is likely to be lengthy, AP reports the EU as saying. What is more, Thai assurances that everything is OK won't be enough, given the lack of transparency evident in the last week...an independent assessment will be needed, it says.

``Given the unfolding of events in

Thailand last week, the admission by

the Thai prime minister that things were

not as the public was led to believe, an

independent verification of these

measures and its impact in Thailand

will have to take place,'' said Beate Gminder, spokeswoman for EU

consumer protection commissioner

David Byrne.

``In these circumstances .. of non-

transparency .. a complete reliance on

Thai assurances does not seem to be

the best way to go foward. We believe ..

credibility and trust .. can only be rebuilt

by confidence-building measures.''

This is strong stuff from the EU, which only last week swallowed Thaksin's assurances that Thailand had no bird flu. Mr Byrne, who was visiting Bangkok at the time and gave that assurance, is probably feeling mad about being deceived!

[george]

The European Union ban on Thai chicken is likely to be lengthy, AP reports the EU as saying. What is more, Thai assurances that everything is OK won't be enough, given the lack of transparency evident in the last week...an independent assessment will be needed, it says.

``Given the unfolding of events in

Thailand last week, the admission by

the Thai prime minister that things were

not as the public was led to believe, an

independent verification of these

measures and its impact in Thailand

will have to take place,'' said Beate Gminder, spokeswoman for EU

consumer protection commissioner

David Byrne.

``In these circumstances .. of non-

transparency .. a complete reliance on

Thai assurances does not seem to be

the best way to go foward. We believe ..

credibility and trust .. can only be rebuilt

by confidence-building measures.''

This is strong stuff from the EU, which only last week swallowed Thaksin's assurances that Thailand had no bird flu. Mr Byrne, who was visiting Bangkok at the time and gave that assurance, is probably feeling mad about being deceived!

Update:

Bird flu blunder by EU health chief

BANGKOK: The European Union’s top health official has been criticised for inadvertently supporting false claims by the Thai government that there was no avian flu in the country — four days before the EU imposed a ban on chicken meat from Thailand.

David Byrne, the health and consumer protection commissioner, declared in Bangkok on Monday: “There is absolutely no evidence of the existence of bird flu in Thailand.” "EU health chief says Thailand free of bird flu"

EU officials in Thailand were “keeping a close eye” on the situation, he said — and praised the Thai government for its “great care and vigilance”.

Byrne’s statement was described by the Bangkok Post, a daily English language newspaper, as “music to the ears of a government seemingly more worried about losing a major export market than the health of its own consumers”.

The EU banned imports on Friday after Thai authorities admitted — following weeks of denials — that two small boys had tested positive for bird flu. Unconfirmed reports also linked the deaths of a chicken butcher and a poultry breeder to the disease.

Byrne made his remarks after he met Newin Chidchob, Thailand’s deputy agriculture minister, who has a reputation as an ambitious nationalistic politician. Newin, the key official in the crisis, had earlier threatened to sue the media over reports that bird flu had broken out.

He repeated the government’s false claims that the deaths of thousands of chickens on farms were due to fowl cholera, which is not known to infect humans.

Thai commentators were dismayed when Byrne appeared to back this up at a time when farmers, veterinarians and consumer groups were pleading for recognition of the truth.

It was only after Japan, a vital market for Thai chicken, imposed a ban that the Thai government admitted that the truth had been kept from the public for weeks. The EU then finally took action.

Byrne’s office issued a statement on Friday saying that the import ban was necessary because of “the seriousness of the risk for Europe”.

Commodities traders in Singapore said reports of the outbreak of bird flu on farms in Thailand had reached the market and officials as early as November.

“The EU and every other big food importer has known about this for months, regardless of whatever nonsense the Thais were putting out,” a Singapore-based trader said yesterday. “There was no excuse for helping them to prolong the cover-up.”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning that thousands of workers in Asia may have been exposed to the lethal virus by taking part in chicken culls without using protective gear.

In Hong Kong and Japan chickens were disposed of by teams of trained specialists in protective masks, gloves and gowns. But in poorer countries such as Vietnam, which yesterday reported its sixth human fatality from bird flu, workers without special clothing have simply thrown chickens into sacks and buried them alive.

The WHO is particularly concerned because the death rate from the present strain of bird flu, the H5N1 avian virus, is far higher than that from severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars), which caused economic chaos in Asia last year.

Sars killed about 740 people, less than 10% per cent of those infected. But in 1997 six out of 18 patients — 33% — died in Hong Kong in an outbreak of H5N1 which led authorities to kill 1.5m chickens within three days.

That prompt action, in stark contrast to the weeks of denial and delay in Thailand, was credited by epidemiologists with preventing a potential pandemic — an outbreak of disease across the world.

The WHO fears that a new influenza pandemic could begin if humans become infected with human flu and bird flu viruses at the same time. Co-infection could breed an entirely new virus that could spread from person to person. Doctors believe that the H5N1 virus can be caught by humans only from animals.

However, the possibility of a sudden mutation which produces a strain of H5N1 capable of transmission between humans has caused alarm in medical circles. An editorial in the current issue of The Lancet says: “The prospect of a worldwide pandemic is massively frightening.”

--Times Online 2004-01-27

[george]

Avian virus resistant to flu drugs, WHO says

New tests have turned up a disturbing problem with the avian influenza virus that is spreading in Asia: The strain appears resistant to one of the two main classes of drugs used to fight influenza viruses, a World Health Organization official said Saturday.

Meanwhile, the strain has been detected among birds in a sixth Asian country, Cambodia, and two more human cases have been diagnosed in a new area of Vietnam, the official, Dr. Klaus Stoehr, said.

Both Vietnamese cases were in children in Ho Chi Minh City, bringing to seven the total in that country. Six have been fatal. Five earlier Vietnamese cases were in Hanoi. Thailand has reported two fatal human cases.

All the human cases are believed to be from contact with chickens or their waste, not from eating them or their eggs. The agency said it knows of no person-to-person spread of the disease.

The number of human cases is small, and the A(H5N1) strain contains only avian genes. But WHO officials said they were concerned that the bird strain might pick up genes from a human virus to create an entirely new virus that could spread easily among people. It would take a combination of events, each of low probability, to produce a large outbreak. But the health agency said the implications for public health were so important that precautionary measures must be taken.

Because a viral recombination could occur at any time, and the threat is likely to last for some time, the health organization is establishing systems for a long vigil through its influenza surveillance network, said Dick Thompson, a WHO spokesman in Geneva.

The organization as well as other U.N. agencies and health groups are emphasizing that infected Asian countries must kill all poultry, a standard measure to stop avian influenza from becoming endemic.

Laboratories in the WHO network are using new techniques to try to develop a human vaccine. The agency hopes to develop a seed virus for vaccine production in a month.

Dr. Nancy J. Cox, an influenza expert at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, which is helping prepare a seed virus, said there was no guarantee on that time frame.

"That would be the best-case scenario," Cox said.

Once the seed virus is ready, it will take months to produce a new vaccine and test it in animals and human volunteers.

Knowing that anti-influenza drugs may be needed in an outbreak of human bird flu and as part of the surveillance process, laboratories in the network have been testing the A(H5N1) strain's susceptibility to the small number of such drugs. The tests are being done at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, in London and in Hong Kong.

Stoehr said that Friday night, his agency learned that initial genetic tests showed that the A(H5N1) was resistant to the less expensive class of anti-influenza virals. The class includes amantadine (Symmetrel) and rimantadine (Flumadine).

Earlier studies by Dr. Malik Peiris of the University of Hong Kong showed that the resistance results from a change in one of the many amino acids in the avian influenza virus.

Additional tests are expected to be conducted this week to confirm the early findings, Stoehr said.

The tests will involve adding drugs to A(H5N1) in test tubes to determine how well the virus grows.

--New York Times 2004-01-26

[francois]

hi' all

I hate politicians

just some kinda professional liers ...

any problems with cold or flu .. go see a chinese doctor, better for you

farncois

[mrvietnam2001]

hi' all

I hate politicians

just some kinda professional liers ...

any problems with cold or flu .. go see a chinese doctor, better for you

farncois

Right on Francois

Rgrds

Mr Vietnam

[Spellbound]

Holiday warning over Asian bird flu

Is Thai tourism at risk, (My neighbours have just cancelled thier holiday to Thailand and elected to go to the USA instead.

UK Goverment warning for travel to Asia

LONDON (Reuters) - The Foreign Office has warned holidaymakers travelling to parts of Asia to take precautions over the bird flu outbreak that has killed seven people.

Britons travelling to Vietnam, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, Cambodia, Taiwan, Indonesia or Pakistan were warned via the department's website to avoid bird markets, farms and places where they may come into contact with live poultry.

A six-year-old boy died in Thailand and six others have died in Vietnam.

So far, all the victims have contracted the disease from sick fowl and not from other humans but the World Health Organisation (WHO) fears the disease could combine with human influenza and unleash a flu pandemic.

The outbreak is stirring fears reminiscent of the SARS disease which killed nearly 800 people.

Millions of chickens have been slaughtered, especially in Thailand, in an attempt to stop the disease spreading. A vaccine for people is months away because the virus has mutated since it made the leap from animals to humans in Hong Kong in 1997.

[mrentoul]

George, I think the articles you have been posting are excellent.

It's better than reading the paper!

Thank you.

[parryhandy]

“The EU and every other big food importer has known about this for months, regardless of whatever nonsense the Thais were putting out,” a Singapore-based trader said yesterday. “There was no excuse for helping them to prolong the cover-up.”

This Mr Byrne wants suing if anybody falls sick in the EU because of his incompetence.It stinks of vested interests and his head should roll because hes obviously in bed with the wrong side.

[mrentoul]

It stinks and his head should roll because hes obviously in bed with the wrong side.

In the macho West, you're seen as a loser if you quit - without a fat redundancy package!

No one quits any more because we live in a world without honour. Certainly,

Thaksin won't go.

He'll keep denying he denied it until journalists stop bugging him. His own website contains transcripts of the many ''we have no bird flu'' interviews he gave.

He should take those down before someone notices!

But certainly you can go and pledge your life and whatever else you have to make the "congo" a better place unless of course you think everyone else should be forced to do so.

I think these types would rather everyone else made that sacrifice first - just to make sure it's worth while.

[parryhandy]

In the macho West, you're seen as a loser if you quit - without a fat redundancy package!

No one quits any more because we live in a world without honour. Certainly,

Dont give him that option.Sack him and if he wont walk somebody should prosecute him.......

[mrentoul]

One indicator of the patronising way Thaksin thinks of his fellow man is his preposterous offers to pay people should this or that calamity befall them when he has told them it won't.

Should reality defy his extravagant promises that everything in the garden of Siam is rosy then he'll pay from his own pocket - or so he says.

He promised to hand over one million baht to the family of any one who died from bird flu. He made a similar promise when he denied Thailand had Sars. It's like challenging someone to die or do himself a mischief, and sounds off.

Well, now a child has died of bird flu, one of five people whom the ministry of health suspects may have died from the disease. Another five on top of that are under watch.

If his pledge still holds - and who knows whether he can still be trusted - then honouring it may get expensive. I saw a post on a Thai website today where people are asking when he is going to pay up.

If this keeps up Thaksin might think twice about shooting off his mouth.

Something positive might emerge from this drama - cock-fighting might go into decline.

A campaign in favour of cock-fighting has been waged in the Thai media in recent weeks, backed by a bunch of senators.

Given the risk of picking up the disease from chicken contact, fans of the ''sport'' might like to give it a rest.

[mbh66]

Confused About the Latest Noise About Bird Flu?

If you base your beliefs on what you hear from the mainstream media, almost half of everything you think you know is not true. You’ve been lied to about almost everything that you’ve been told by corporate media, including bird flu.

You’ve been lied to in order to convince you to accept a new social agenda that is so radically different from the social reality of a generation ago that anyone over the age of thirty suffers from culture shock every time they go out in public.

You’ve been lied to about what you think, about what ‘everybody else thinks’ and about what the ‘smart’ people think for so long that you might not know what to think any more.

Everybody knows it – you know it! The lies are so pervasive that you can’t see them anymore, even when they stand right in front of you in all their glory. Many people, when confronted with the truth, would rather remain in denial than admit what they see before them.

On the brink of The American Civil War, it was Patrick Henry who stated

"We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth and listen to the song of the siren, till she transforms us into beasts. For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth, to know the worst and provide for it."

This then, is the whole truth about Bird Flu.

Weapons of Mass Distraction

As you read this article, please keep this quote in the back of your mind:

"The threat of environmental crisis will be the 'international disaster key' that will unlock the New World Order." [Mikhail Gorbachev, quoted in "A Special Report: The Wildlands Project Unleashes Its War On Mankind", by Marilyn Brannan, Associate Editor, Monetary & Economic Review, 1996, p. 5.]

Here are the main facts about the disease.

What is Bird Flu?

Bird flu is no worse than a bad cold for an animal, which also sees the animal fully recover, if tended to with appropriate housing, bedding, basic, inexpensive medical care and proper nutrition. Slaughtering these animals is as absurd as murdering our seven-year-olds for having a runny nose, because we have decided we're not going to live with the common cold.

Bird Flu Compared to Mad Cow Disease

In 2001 the Blair Government forced the slaughter of about 2 million cattle simply because less than 1,500 were diagnosed with Foot and Mouth Disease, a relatively benign disease from which two-thirds of afflicted animals survive, and which poses no threat to humans. In the process, Britain forced many farmers out of business and ruined the land upon which the farmers and ranchers were dependent, thus forcing the land to lie fallow while it gradually recovered from the deliberate poisoning brought on by the chemicals added to the carcasses of the animals so as to start the fire of the open-field funeral pyres.

Many independent investigations have been conducted and it is now widely believed that the crisis was contrived by the British Government.

One such researcher, Steven Ransom, published a book called 'Plague, Pestilence and the Pursuit of Power'. In it he says the following:

"Whilst intentional entrenched error and scientific bungling are themselves a serious matter, my team believes these factors are overshadowed by evidence of a far more serious nature - the existence of a covert and dangerously harmful European federalist agenda:

"Our farming heritage is seen as a threat to those wishing to dismantle British national sovereignty in favour of interdependent European union. Our evidence suggests that behind closed doors, decisions have been made to rid an independent Britain and other independent nations of their livestock industry by any means necessary. Swine fever, BSE, more BSE and now foot and mouth? These so-called 'outbreaks' have provided the perfect reason to slaughter thousands upon thousands of completely healthy cattle, sheep and pigs over the years. And it appears the goal to break the back of UK farming is being achieved. The facts in our report reveal the British and other governments are colluding in the most abhorrent actions. Most definitely, there are issues of criminality and treason to answer in the light of the crippling damage that has been wilfully inflicted upon the British people and their nation's economic infrastructure."

Steven Ransom, Plague, Pestilence and the Pursuit of Power.

The same thing is more than likely happening in Asia with the current bird flu scares. Only time will tell.

Finally, all of the 'talking points' constantly discussed and reported on in the pervasive corporate media, are nothing more than political propaganda weapons of mass distraction. They have been purposefully sewn into the national debate, in this instance to reinforce the false belief that there is indeed a bird flu virus, and that it has been rampaging across Asia.

Nothing could be further from the truth. That their disinformation campaign is working, is adequately demonstrated by the average populace response. For more information on this subject, please read the following excerpt on the control of freedom of speech at http://www.whatareweswallowing.freeserve.co.uk/excerpt.htm

Next: An Introduction to the ThreeWorldWars website. Learn how all historical events of importance have happened by design, and how bird flu forms part of a much bigger plan: http://www.threeworldwars.com/

Online link to this article: http://www.threeworldwars.com/bird-flu/index.html

[george]

Thailand prepares for crisis talks on bird flu as one more suspect succumbs to disease

BANGKOK, Thailand: Thailand is preparing to hold international crisis talks on Wednesday, to discuss the unprecedented bird flu outbreak which has spread to nine Asian nations.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the meeting should help the kingdom regain international confidence following accusations of a cover-up.

Thailand on Tuesday confirmed its second fatality from the disease and there're now fears that the outbreak could spread to the capital.

As family members mourned the death of Thailand's first confirmed casualty of the bird flu virus, officials confirmed a second bird flu death, another 6-year-old boy, just like the first victim.

The second casualty, who's from the northern province of Pisanulok, died just 10 days after being admitted to hospital.

He had been one of the three confirmed cases in Thailand.

The third case is still in critical condition at Bangkok's Children Hospital.

What's getting Thais increasingly worried is the circumstances surrounding the second death.

The dead boy's mother had died of respiratory problems and pneumonia, just over two weeks ago.

Reports suggest that his family had eaten a cooked chicken that died from the H5N1 virus.

Thai officials, however, have repeatedly assured the public that cooked chickens are safe to eat.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has blamed the media for exaggerating the situation and its possible impact on the Thai economy.

"I'd like to ask every party concerned to please lend a hand, this is our country. You don't have to protect this government, this government can stay or can go any time but this country must survive, Thai people must be healthy. Don't exaggerate your reports," said the Thai premier.

Although bird and chickens in central and northern Thailand are being infected by the H5N1 virus, that doesn't mean that the capital of Bangkok is immune to the disease.

Latest reports suggest that dead birds are being found in the popular Sanam Luang area as well as other Bangkok suburbs.

More than 10,000 chickens have reportedly died at a farm in a Bangkok suburb and 23 dead birds were found floating in one of the city major canals.

But at this point, the government remains optimistic that it has nothing to do with the bird flu virus.

"I've been informed that the reports of dead birds in some areas is normal. Statistically, birds die every day. Just because they're dying now doesn't mean they have bird flu. But we are looking into the possibility," said Thaksin.

Despite assurances, city residents are advised to keep away from bird carcasses and to immediately inform officials, should they come across any dead birds. - CNA

[mrentoul]

Thailand on Tuesday confirmed its second fatality from the disease and there're now fears that the outbreak could spread to the capital.

That's two million baht from Thaksin's pocket, at least...

No one seems to be buying chicken in Bangkok, judging by consumer demand at the local market. Still, that may not stop it.

You’ve been lied to about almost everything that you’ve been told by corporate media, including bird flu.

You, my friend, posted similar rubbish a few days ago, only under a different nick.

Is it a religion? The destructionists? No-hopists? Flat earthers?

I know there's a label I can stick on you...it's just eluding me.

Time to lighen up:

http://www.kapook.com/newmusicstation/play.php?id=952

[george]

Hotels urged to skip chicken, egg menus

Tourism not affected much, says TAT chief

The Thai Hotels Association (THA) has suggested that its 400 members pull all chicken and other egg-based dishes from their menus to avoid the risk of bird-flu transmission, THA secretary Prakit Chinamornpong said yesterday.

He said the advice had been taken up by most of the hotels until the disease is contained.

``Currently, most of our hotel members have stopped offering chicken- or egg-based menu items such as mayonnaise salad dressing in their buffet services but cooked chicken dishes are still available on a la carte menus,'' he said.

Chicken normally represented the largest proportion of meat offered in hotels but sales revenue from member hotels' restaurants had not been affected so far by the absence of such dishes, he added.

On the other hand, sales of shrimp and seafood menu items have shown a significant increase in hotel restaurants since the outbreak of the bird flu.

Chatchawal Supachavanont, president of the THA's eastern chapter, said the bird flu was unlikely to have the same impact on the tourism industry as the Sars outbreak did last year.

However, THA members expressed concern that the disease could significantly affect the industry if it started to be transmitted among humans.

They suggested that the government be more transparent about the situation and that a credible person should be responsible for communicating with the international media.

Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific Airlines has stopped serving chicken dishes on all flights out of Thailand, said Yongyut Lujintanon, the airline's sales and marketing manager for Thailand and Burma.

However, flights from non-affected countries still offer chicken but all the dishes are cooked at a higher temperature or at least 65 degrees Celsius.

All poultry dishes have been replaced by pork or fish for flights to and from Vietnam, Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

At the same time, all of the airline's staff are being encouraged to obtain flu vaccine and to avoid wet markets and farms with chicken.

Juthamas Siriwan, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, said the bird flu had not had a significant impact on the tourism industry.

However, she has asked the crisis management centre to communicate closely with involved agencies such as World Health Organisation and the Public Health ministry for updated information to be sent to TAT offices overseas.

--The Post 2004-01-28

[george]

Bangkok on high alert

Another child dies; more provinces hit

BANGKOK: Four districts of Bangkok were yesterday declared high-risk zones for bird flu epidemic, as the disease claimed its second casualty _ a six-year-old boy.

City hall has placed Nong Chok, Min Buri, Lat Krabang and Klong Sam Wa, all of them in eastern Bangkok, in the high-risk zone category, under close surveillance for bird flu.

Deputy Bangkok governor Prapan Kittisin said more than 110,000 fowl had been slaughtered to contain the disease since December. More than 50,000 poultry deaths had been recorded in the area. The highest death rate was reported in Nong Chok district.

The number of slaughtered animals included 4,000 farm chickens culled in Min Buri yesterday.

However, he dismissed bird flu as the cause of death, saying laboratory tests linked the incident to fowl cholera.

Mr Prapan said transportation of fowl animals had been placed under tight control in the risk zones to prevent infection from spreading. The control would last until March.

Close monitoring was ordered for the city's western districts which border Nakhon Pathom, a new quarantine zone, he said, adding that a small number of chicken had died in Chom Thong district.

Mr Prapan denied there were unusual deaths of pigeons at Sanam Luang as reported by some media.

``Pigeons have a short life cycle. That 10 birds died in a day is not uncommon. Still, a lab test will be conducted on the bird carcasses,'' he said.

Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said Kanchai Nilchan, 6, died of bird flu at Phitsanulok's Phuthachinaraj Hospital yesterday, bringing the official death toll to two.

So far, the ministry has confirmed only three bird flu cases; the only surviving one is a seven-year-old boy from Suphan Buri, who is said to be in critical condition. He is being treated at Queen Sirikit National Institute of Child Health. The first fatality, also a six-year-old boy, died on Monday at Siriraj Hospital.

Mrs Sudarat said the twin brother of the Suphan Buri patient has tested positive for viral infection but not bird flu.

The remaining four patients still awaiting laboratory confirmation include a five-month-old boy from Chainat hospitalised in Nakhon Sawan; a two-year-old boy from Nakhon Sawan, a three-year-old girl from Suphan Buri and another 11-year-old girl from Ayutthaya.

Meanwhile, livestock and city officials will today inspect Klong Toey's 70-rai area, after complaints that some chickens had died.

The number of dead chickens was still small and there should be no significant concern about bird flu, a district official said, asking not to be named.

The department advised the community to bury all the carcasses and add disinfectant into the landfill.

``However, samples of chicken faeces will be collected today for a lab test,'' the district official said, adding results would be available within three days.

The government has threatened swift punishment against farmers hiding infected chickens, as the number of provinces affected by bird flu increased from 13 to 21 yesterday.

Government spokesman Jakrapob Penkair said a number of farmers evaded the poultry cull by hiding their chickens. He warned that they would be dealt with swiftly if they refused to cooperate fully in farm inspections and in culling operations.

Police chief Gen Sant Sarutanont said police would arrest anyone caught dumping poultry carcasses into rivers and waterways. They would be charged with violating public hygiene law.

Outbreaks of bird flu were confirmed in Khon Kaen, Kalasin, Nong Khai, Sakon Nakhon, Lamphun, Lampang and Petchabun with parts of Bangkok also declared high-risk.

Confirmed earlier were areas in Kamphaeng Phet, Chai Nat, Phichit, Phitsanulok, Sing Buri, Sukhothai, Uttaradit, Uthai Thani, Ratchaburi, Nakhon Pathom and Ang Thong.

Mr Jakrapob said Foreign Minister Surakiat Sathirathai admitted at yesterday's cabinet meeting that the country had become a ``prime suspect'' in the eyes of the global community. The government would have ``a lot of explaining to do'' regarding the alleged concealment of the flu outbreak, at today's summit in Bangkok of nations affected by the flu pandemic.

--Bangkok Post 2004-01-28

[castelleone]

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has blamed the media for exaggerating the situation and its possible impact on the Thai economy.

well then, who is showing off on TV like Mr. Thaksin, eating all sorts of chickens from the round table for publicity, should very well excuse himself to his people when proved wrong.

[george]

Bangkok declared danger zone

Bird flu spread to a third of Thailand's provinces

BANGKOK: The bird flu epidemic has spread to about a third of Thailand's provinces, including the capital, where delegates were gathering for an international conference today to find ways of halting its gallop across the Asian continent.

Bangkok's Deputy Mayor Prapan Kitisin said Bangkok was a "danger zone" after the avian disease was detected in a fighting cock, chickens and ducks.

"Today, the mayor of Bangkok has to announce Bangkok as a danger zone, and has to announce that poultry cannot be moved within a 50km radius," Prapan said in a television interview. "The tests have come out. We have to rush."

The infected fighting cock was from an eastern suburb, where many chicken deaths have been reported, Prapan said. Infected chickens and three infected ducks were found in Bangkok's Chatuchak district, but Prapan declined to say whether these were from the district's famous market frequented by locals and tourists.

Also Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Somsak Thepsutin said the bird flu had been detected in chickens in 12 additional provinces - for a total of 25 of Thailand's 76 provinces.

Thailand has confirmed two human deaths from bird flu, the latest occurring yesterday as the Government prepared for the emergency conference on how to beat the virus which has been reported in 10 Asian countries.

Asian government ministers, along with representatives of the United States and international organizations, have confirmed attendance at the three-hour meeting.

A total of eight bird flu deaths have been confirmed in Asia, six of them in Vietnam.

Eleven additional people in Thailand are suspected to have been infected with the virus, six of whom have died - and officials are awaiting test results, the health ministry says.

Ten Asian governments have reported outbreaks in poultry stocks, with China and Laos joining the list Tuesday. Millions of fowl have been slaughtered, including some 10 million in Thailand alone.

While the conference will reportedly focus on how to cope with the onslaught, politics are also likely to rear up around the conference table with some countries, notably Thailand, explaining why they chose to cover up knowledge of the disease from the public.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Sihasak Phuangketkeow acknowledged that the Government was facing questions about its credibility, but said officials were "moving quickly to deal with the problem" and hoped to "restore confidence" at today's meeting.

"We learned that we need to regain trust from the international community," he said. "The conference tomorrow is to show that we recognise the problem and that we recognise the need to take a decisive step ... and share experience."

Thai authorities on Friday reversed weeks of government denials that bird flu had reached the kingdom, announcing that bird flu had infected chickens in central Thailand and had sickened two people.

There has been no evidence of human-to-human transmission, and only Thailand and Vietnam have confirmed cases of infection in humans.

--The Associated Press 2004-01-28

Thai woman dies of suspected bird flu infection

BANGKOK - A Thai woman suspected of having bird flu has died, bringing the toll from the disease to six suspected deaths and two confirmed fatalities, health officials said Wednesday.

"A 57-year-old woman died (Tuesday) from severe pneumonia. She raised some 40 to 50 chickens which all died, but we have to wait for lab test results," said disease control department director Charal Trinvuthipong.

Charal told a press briefing that a seven-year-old boy from the worst-hit province of Suphan Buri who has a confirmed case of bird flu remained in a critical but stable condition at Bangkok's main children's hospital.

--AFP 2004-01-28

[sanook]

I have not read that the parents of the boys that died from the bird flu were going to be paid the 1,000,000 baht promised if there should be a death caused by the virus. Of course this government is just all talk anyway.

[Aitit]

I have not read that the parents of the boys that died from the bird flu were going to be paid the 1,000,000 baht promised if there should be a death caused by the virus. Of course this government is just all talk anyway.

The million is only for the dead, not for their families.

[george]

Thaksin says birdflu grave economic, heath threat

Twelve countries are attending the bird flu conference in Bangkok

BANGKOK - Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said on Wednesday a birdflu outbreak rampaging across Asia poses a serious threat to the region's economies and public health and called for a coordinated effort to fight the virus.

Thaksin, who has also come under fire from critics who say Thailand covered up the outbreak first announced on Friday, admitted "mistakes and human errors" had occured, but said it was time to put that controversy in the past.

"Not only does it pose a grave economic threat, forcing the elimination of millions of chickens, it also poses a serious threat to public health," Thaksin said in a speech prepared for delivery ahead of a regional summit on birdflu in Bangkok.

He said that as of today, Thai authorities had identified 134 risk spots affected by bird flu, with each spot covering a five km radius.

"Whatever may have happened, this is what the Thai government is doing right now. Our top priority is to get the situation well under control," he said.

He said affected countries could take heart from the fact there were no cases of human-to-human transmission of the bird flu which has killed eight people in Vietnam and Thailand, but that this was no time for complacency.

"Transparency and disclosure of information are essential to bring back confidence and trust to the general public," he said.

Twelve countries are attending the bird flu conference in Bangkok in addition to host Thailand, along with representatives of the European Union, the World Health Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the world animal health organisation.

--Reuters 2004-01-28

[Sojourner]

Has anyone seen a list of the affected provinces? I assume it's only a matter of time before the whole country is declared a danger zone but it might be helpful to know where the infection is spreading.

[chopsticks]

the government that claims it can take care of everything...

inevitably can't.

[PB7]

As the tourism minister denies any cancellations.....as would be expected... i hear 1st hand form a close friend (who is in senior management at a 5* hotel)... that the cancellations are flooding in. I know who i believe!!

[george]

Thai PM admits mistakes over bird flu

BANGKOK: Thailand's prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, today admitted to "mistakes and human errors" amid international accusations that his government covered up an outbreak of bird flu.

"The current situation has reminded us that even when we were so mindful of those past lessons, mistakes and human errors could always be possible," he told a regional emergency bird flu summit, alluding to last year's battle against Sars.

Mr Thaksin has denied opposition accusations of a cover-up, saying confirmation of bird flu came only last Friday with the death of the first of two boys to die of bird flu. Jakrapob Penkair, the government's chief spokesman, blamed provincial officials for what appeared to be a cover-up that so riled the EU that it said publicly it did not trust the Thai government on bird flu.

"What looks like a cover-up was a misinterpretation of procedures," Mr Jakrapob told a news conference. "The most appropriate word is screw up. Some agencies screwed up. We found there was lots of confusion about the kinds of information that needed to be reported upstairs."

For weeks, Thai farmers complained that their poultry were dying of the same disease that had killed thousands of chickens in neighbouring Vietnam. The Thai government initially claimed the birds were suffering from chicken cholera, a disease not harmful to humans.

Mr Thaksin has since admitted that officials suspected for weeks the country was facing a bird flu outbreak, but had kept it quiet to deter public panic.

Thailand has so far confirmed two human deaths from bird flu, both children. Eleven other people in Thailand are suspected to have been infected with the virus, six of whom have died.

Bird flu has been confirmed in 10 countries from Japan to Pakistan and has killed at least eight people and millions of chickens. All of the human victims are believed to have caught the disease from contact with sick chickens.

Mr Thaksin declined to give details of his estimates of the possible economic fallout from the disease, which economists have said should be limited as long as there are no cases of transmission between people.

According to estimates by the Asian Development Bank, last year's outbreak of the Sars virus cost Asia $60bn (£32.7bn) in lost revenues with the airline and tourism industries especially hard hit.

South Korea, where cases of bird flu have also been found, today banned poultry imports from China, as did Singapore. So far, no person-to-person transmission has been reported, though health officials fear the virus might mix with a human flu strain, creating a form that could trigger a human flu pandemic.

They also said while the disease has reached China, the world's most populous nation, it was not time to panic. China announced it had slaughtered nearly 60,000 chickens in a campaign against bird flu, trying to assure the public the disease was under control a day after the country's first cases were confirmed in ducks.

Mr Thaksin said bird flu posed a serious threat to Asian economies and public health and it was time to put the controversy in the past.

"Not only does it pose a grave economic threat, forcing the elimination of millions of chickens, it also poses a serious threat to public health," he said.

Thirteen countries are attending the bird flu conference in Bangkok, along with representatives of the EU, the World Health Organisation, the Food and Agriculture Organisation and the world animal health organisation.

--Agencies 2004-01-28

[PD0NVJ]

In this article in the BKK post they mention some of the affected provinces.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/28Jan2004_news05.html

so it seems from al the way North to in and around BKK

[george]

Here is the preliminary list over affected provinces so far:

Bangkok,

Khon Kaen,

Kalasin,

Nong Khai,

Sakon Nakhon,

Lamphun,

Lampang,

Petchabun,

Kamphaeng Phet,

Chai Nat,

Phichit,

Phitsanulok,

Sing Buri,

Sukhothai,

Uttaradit,

Uthai Thani,

Ratchaburi,

Nakhon Pathom,

Ang Thong.

The list is not complete yet. We will fill up as soon there is reliable info available.

[mrvietnam2001]

Anybody know what China's position is on this? Oh let me guess, everything is fine in oh great china.

Sure it is.

Mr Vietnam

[mrentoul]

Please look out for a story in tomorrow's Bangkok Post where Thaksin proposes cash hand-outs to kamnan and village heads - the core of Thailand's ''grassroots'' democratic system - at the same time as proposing to do away with elections for those posts.

He says they should be picked by provincial panels instead (no doubt stacked by Thai Rak Thai-appointees).

He was speaking at a seminar on the same day as he told an international audience at the bird flu conference of the need for more ''transparency'' (for which read openness and honesty). This man's gall knows no bounds.

[A. BOOZER]

Avian Flu H5N1. The threat of this is now seemingly growing so rapidly throughout S.E. Asia, that even if the Thai P.M. had actually realized that it was not Chicken Cholera, the spread of this was apparently inevitable. However, I am intrigued that Indonesia is suffering from this, surely this is not an airborn virus, can any forum member give any educated thoughts on this?

Whatever the outcome, there are going to be very many Thais who will suffer exceedingly badly financially, from the largest chicken producer to the villager with a few fowel, the people who transport live birds, the people working in food processing plants right down to the street vendors. This is going to be felt right across the nation for a long time.