Thailand Says Feeling Better About Bird Flu

[george]

Thailand says feeling better about bird flu

BANGKOK - Thailand is increasingly confident of beating the bird flu outbreak quickly and hopes to persuade the European Union to shorten its six-month ban on chicken imports from the country, officials said on Wednesday.

Chief government spokesman Jakrapob Penkair said the number of "red zones" -- the five-km (three-mile) area around a confirmed outbreak within which all poultry must be slaughtered -- were down to just 14 in seven provinces on Wednesday.

Last week, Thailand had more than 140 red zones in 29 of its 76 provinces following the slaughter of at least 25 million poultry.

"We've moved to the stage of rehabilitating and upgrading chicken farms," Jakrapob told a news conference.

Once the outbreaks had been suppressed, the government would ask the EU to send experts to examine chicken farms so that Thailand, the world's fourth largest chicken exporter, could resume exports to the 15-member bloc.

"I dont think they will ban us for six months since we have tackled the problem quickly," Finance Minister Suchart Jaovisidha told reporters a day after the EU confirmed its six-month ban on Thai poultry imports.

Four Thais have died of bird flu after contracting the virulent H5N1 avian influenza virus from infected poultry and ten people have died of it in Vietnam.

--Reuters 2004-02-04

[francois]

a little too optimistic ...

the strain is still here, and well alive, how can we already plan for an after when nobody's out?

I just see a big reason $$$$$$$ only $$$$$$

let's be a little cautious

francois

[Dove]

Free: Cooked chicken and eggs

BANGKOK - Thailand is trying to ease public fears about poultry products by giving away cooked chicken and eggs amid assurances from experts that eating thoroughly cooked poultry is safe and unlikely to cause bird flu.

The government has joined forces with poultry farmers and celebrities to offer the food at stalls outside Bangkok's Government House, where a weekly Cabinet meeting was set to start yesterday.

Famous actors and politicians munched on fried chicken wings and cutlets at stands owned by a major Thai poultry producer, Saha Farm Co. A public chicken feast has been scheduled for Saturday at a city park.

The campaign is part of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's efforts to restore confidence in Thailand's US$1 billion (S$1.7 billion) poultry industry, which has suffered a downturn due to bird flu.

Thailand has a glut of more than 10 million chickens, 100 million eggs and 20,000 tonnes of frozen and processed meat rejected by the European Union and Japan, the Commerce Ministry said.

The World Health Organisation and doctors said yesterday that eating thoroughly cooked chicken and eggs is safe and is unlikely to cause bird flu.

In Bangkok, infectious diseases consultant Mondej Sookpranee said it was too early to tell if the virus could be spread by eating cooked poultry. 'The virus is very sensitive to temperature. So eating chicken that is well-cooked is still perfectly safe.'

A seven-year-old boy died yesterday, becoming Thailand's fourth confirmed fatality from the disease. -- AP, AFP, Reuters IP Address:220.255.57.227

[hermit]

Thaksinland in denial?

My brother just visited me in Thailand and returned to his home via Thai Airways. He wrote this:

"Well, I forgot to tell you.... they served chicken on the plane on the way back from Bkk. I asked the flight attendent if it came from Thailand, and she said, 'Why, is there a problem with the chicken in Thailand? Please, sir, don't worry.' She was Thai..."

[mouse]

I just figured it out. Thaksin is afraid that the avian flu will be considered a WMD and that we will be attacked next (Although I jest this is in fact possible). That explains all the denial by Thailand. The fear is that after the hostilities there would a caretaker government as in Iraq, that would not include the present parties. All re-construction and installation of new cellular system would be handled by Halliburton to be awarded to US Companies and those of our allies. The bad State Department report is kind of like the wrap on the knuckles that Iraq received prior to the invasion. See resemblance at a lower tone?

[stumonster]

maybe if the crux was addressed... peoples confidence in the "organs" of the state..

trippers