Health Ministry Puts Thailand On High Alert For Bird Flu

[webfact]

Public Health Ministry on high alert against possible avian flu spread from Cambodia

BANGKOK, 6 March 2013 (NNT) – The Public Health Ministry is on high alert against the possible spread of avian flu into the country, after a number of people have been reportedly killed by H5N1 virus in neighboring Cambodia.

Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Narong Sahametapat said that Thailand is now on alert to prevent the outbreak of avian flu even though the country has not found a single patient during the past 7 years.

Dr. Narong’s comment was made after the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that there have been 7 bird-flu patients in Cambodia, 2 in China and 1 in Egypt, during January 1 and February 15, 2013. Out of this, 7, including 6 in Cambodia, died.

The Permanent Secretary for Public Health stated that the H5N1 outbreak in the neighboring country has put Thailand on high alert and the ministry has already instructed all related provincial health offices, particularly in Sa Kaeo Province, which borders Cambodia, to watch out for any possible spread of the virus.

He added the alert is applied to both poultry and human while related provincial livestock offices were ordered to be ready to control the spread of the avian flu, if the virus is ever found.

In addition, all hospitals under the ministry have been advised to stock up Oseltamivir, an anti-viral drug and to conduct thorough diagnosis on patients suspected to have contracted the virus.

The Public Health Ministry also warned the public to only consume completely-cooked poultry and eggs, to never include sick poultry in any cooking, and to report any suspected case of avian influenza to the nearest livestock or public health offices as soon as possible.

-- NNT 2013-03-06

[jamhar]

FINALLY!

A Proactive TL government organization!

[CecilEugene]

I just had the regular flu. First time in 15 years. That was three weeks ago and still not 100%. And that laid me low for a week.

[alant]

someone will blame alcohol and cigarettes for it.

[super22k]

Is there a jab I can get from my doctor to prevent bird flu?

[masuk]

I just had the regular flu. First time in 15 years. That was three weeks ago and still not 100%. And that laid me low for a week.

I've tried to avoid getting it again, and have annual flu booster shots. Got my recent one at the local GP here in Chiang Mai.

[Hugh Jarse]

I just had the regular flu. First time in 15 years. That was three weeks ago and still not 100%. And that laid me low for a week.

What were the symptoms?

[SOTIRIOS]

.......perfect opportunity to pull another 10-20-30 or 100-200-300 billion baht.........

[delgarcon]

Looks like no vaccine for another 2 years.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-01/hands-up3a-volunteers-needed-to-test-bird-flu-vaccine/4495456.

It's been known for several years that if the virus does mutate and can be passed from person to person we are in deep shit!

Very important to wash your hands regularly, especially before eating.

[Soupdragon]

“The single biggest threat to man’s continued dominance on the planet is a virus.”

Joshua Lederberg, Nobel laureate.

[Mampara]

The pigeons are a roosting guys. Have you noticed the increasing number of pigeons in Thailand lately.

[puipuitom]

How many times I heard from Thai officials... there is no bird flue in Thailand ( anymore), alert is over, etc.. but NEVER they took the measurements to really finish this thread for theri people and.. their huge export industry of bird meat.

[Scott]

Although there is no vaccine for the bird flu, a regular flu shot will probably go a long way to reducing the risk of getting it.

[Buchholz]

Although there is no vaccine for the bird flu, a regular flu shot will probably go a long way to reducing the risk of getting it.

Is there any medical basis behind saying that?

Center for Disease Control says just the opposite.

Does seasonal influenza vaccine protect against avian influenza infection in people?

No. Seasonal influenza vaccine does not provide protection against avian influenza.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/qa.htm

[anon467367354]

flu shots are absolutely worthless and I still find it amazing that people here still get them.

The research is out there and still hands down the best defense and cure for the flu is vitamin D.

A shot of mercury, msg, antifreeze, egg proteins, dna from monkeys, cows, pigs, eggs, and viruses

in some kind of autoimmune response causing base just doesn't make sense to me.

[belg]

thai people, they don't like to use a middle spoon... even in icecream or other stuff... middle dish, their spoon to the mouth, mhhhhhhhh germs, here, share with everybody, digg it in again into the middle dish, even there was a middle spoon

hep a, b, c , mono, flu, never heard of it, the strong thai stomac will kill it all

mai pen rai

[fred007]

Looks like no vaccine for another 2 years.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-01/hands-up3a-volunteers-needed-to-test-bird-flu-vaccine/4495456.

It's been known for several years that if the virus does mutate and can be passed from person to person we are in deep shit!

Very important to wash your hands regularly, especially before eating.

Especially before eating......Birds ................ especially before eating birds with a flew.....Ahhhh Flu....

[Joop50]

Flu shots are a great scam. Big farma wins billions with that. Averyone can surge on the internet for how and what. And if you read any pro reseach articles look well at the scientists and most of all who paid them.

[MaiThaiMai]

I'm not surprised so many people are so ignorant on this subject

I used to get a "flu" shot EVERY year for 10 years in my birth country BEFORE the sick season hit practically like clockwork, a vaccine normally came out in October and I NEVER got horribly sick from any flu virus after getting one...

Been in Thailand for many years now and have NEVER seen offer of a flu shot ANYWHERE ANYTIME and been horribly sick three different times (and avoided going anywhere so not to make anyone else feel like me)

I did have to drag myself down to the closest pharmacy for some antibiotics each time which knocked "the bug" down within a couple days...

This last ( recent ) episode I seriously thought I was going to die and still don't have any idea where I caught the bug, could have been any handrail, doorknob, (beer condoms which I ALWAYS avoid now) or could have been money handed back to me after shopping...

Been ripped-off twice now by clinics misdiagnosing a problem then selling me drugs that were completely ineffective , hospitals are much better and relatively inexpensive in my experience

I suspect I will likely meet my demise by getting hit by a WORTHLESS and DANGEROUS oversised tour bus or some idiot on a Harley-Davidson/pissant scooter driver racing in and out out of traffic before I die of any form of bird flu, at least you can hear the Harley-Davidsons coming from two miles away

It only takes one moron carrying a flu bug to get 100 people or more sick

RANT over...

MaiThaiMai

Edited March 6, 2013 by MaiThaiMai

[Scott]

Although there is no vaccine for the bird flu, a regular flu shot will probably go a long way to reducing the risk of getting it.

Is there any medical basis behind saying that?

Center for Disease Control says just the opposite.

>>Does seasonal influenza vaccine protect against avian influenza infection in people?

No. Seasonal influenza vaccine does not provide protection against avian influenza.

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/gen-info/qa.htm

As I said, and I was told my an infectious disease specialist here in Thailand, it will probably go a long way toward 'reducing the risk'. It doesn't prevent it, but then a vaccination doesn't necessarily prevent the target disease anyway.

[chainarong]

Is there a jab I can get from my doctor to prevent bird flu?

In short No

[chainarong]

Have no qualms, Bird flu has no boundaries and has no friends.

[MaiThaiMai]

Looks like no vaccine for another 2 years.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-01/hands-up3a-volunteers-needed-to-test-bird-flu-vaccine/4495456.

It's been known for several years that if the virus does mutate and can be passed from person to person we are in deep shit!

Very important to wash your hands regularly, especially before eating.

Especially before eating......Birds ................ especially before eating birds with a flew.....Ahhhh Flu....

i FLU to Thailand TO GET AWAY from the Asian FLEW where I used live, now the IRONY is killing me metinks...

[MaiThaiMai]

By the time ANY vaccine is created and offered up the virus has ALREADY mutated in its host...whether it be bird, human, Yeti or Sasquatch

We can only hope there is never an outbreak of "fish flu" but then again there are FLYING FISH out there who have FLU, err, flown into boats before ~ scary puns eh?

MaiThaiMai

Edited March 6, 2013 by MaiThaiMai

[Thai at Heart]

I'm not surprised so many people are so ignorant on this subject

I used to get a "flu" shot EVERY year for 10 years in my birth country BEFORE the sick season hit practically like clockwork, a vaccine normally came out in October and I NEVER got horribly sick from any flu virus after getting one...

Been in Thailand for many years now and have NEVER seen offer of a flu shot ANYWHERE ANYTIME and been horribly sick three different times (and avoided going anywhere so not to make anyone else feel like me)

I did have to drag myself down to the closest pharmacy for some antibiotics each time which knocked "the bug" down within a couple days...

This last ( recent ) episode I seriously thought I was going to die and still don't have any idea where I caught the bug, could have been any handrail, doorknob, (beer condoms which I ALWAYS avoid now) or could have been money handed back to me after shopping...

Been ripped-off twice now by clinics misdiagnosing a problem then selling me drugs that were completely ineffective , hospitals are much better and relatively inexpensive in my experience

I suspect I will likely meet my demise by getting hit by a WORTHLESS and DANGEROUS oversised tour bus or some idiot on a Harley-Davidson/pissant scooter driver racing in and out out of traffic before I die of any form of bird flu, at least you can hear the Harley-Davidsons coming from two miles away

It only takes one moron carrying a flu bug to get 100 people or more sick

RANT over...

MaiThaiMai

You might start by not taking antibiotics for a viral infection. No wonder you think you are getting ripped off, because you are.

[phompen]

I hope it's not a bird flu caught from a chicken :

Yesterday I've eaten a pad thai chicken in a little restaurant soi 38 (Sukhumvit, Bangkok), located far on the right in the soi 38 but I don't know the name of the restaurant

the chicken was all grey, the taste was really awful !

I've wanted to eject that from my mouth, but the owner was looking at me, and I was a bit dissapointed about "lose their face" concept...

so I've eaten just one piece of chicken, and sorted out the other piece of chicken on the side of the plate...

4 hours later I've been sick like hell, 45 minutes over the toilets, I was more than 20 hours ago, and I still feel weird...

I hope it's just a little food intoxication and not a bird flu (that I suppose would take 3-5 days to really appear... but maybe there are some precursor symtoms like that ?)

By the way, it's now the time to stop pad thai "chicken" for pad thai "prawns"... for a while

[BigSkip]

I'm not surprised so many people are so ignorant on this subject

I used to get a "flu" shot EVERY year for 10 years in my birth country BEFORE the sick season hit practically like clockwork, a vaccine normally came out in October and I NEVER got horribly sick from any flu virus after getting one...

Been in Thailand for many years now and have NEVER seen offer of a flu shot ANYWHERE ANYTIME and been horribly sick three different times (and avoided going anywhere so not to make anyone else feel like me)

I did have to drag myself down to the closest pharmacy for some antibiotics each time which knocked "the bug" down within a couple days...

This last ( recent ) episode I seriously thought I was going to die and still don't have any idea where I caught the bug, could have been any handrail, doorknob, (beer condoms which I ALWAYS avoid now) or could have been money handed back to me after shopping...

Been ripped-off twice now by clinics misdiagnosing a problem then selling me drugs that were completely ineffective , hospitals are much better and relatively inexpensive in my experience

I suspect I will likely meet my demise by getting hit by a WORTHLESS and DANGEROUS oversised tour bus or some idiot on a Harley-Davidson/pissant scooter driver racing in and out out of traffic before I die of any form of bird flu, at least you can hear the Harley-Davidsons coming from two miles away

It only takes one moron carrying a flu bug to get 100 people or more sick

RANT over...

MaiThaiMai

BKK-Pattaya Hospital has offered flu shot before, along with many other private hospitals in Sri Racha

Edited March 6, 2013 by BigSkip

[phompen]

maybe you have noticed the chicken is often not well cooked in Thailand, and this is a factor of contamination, and it's the same problem for eggs...

I will be hard to eat in the next days, because there are chicken and eggs everywhere in the thai food...

[Scott]

Flu shots are available. There are generally different shots for different times of the year. The 'cool' season flu shot is frequently quite similar to the ones given in western countries, such as the US. As the rainy season approaches, there is usually a different combination to the shot.

[MaiThaiMai]

Thanks for the info...now excuse while i go wash my hands for the tenth time today