Bangkok Declared 100% Free Of Bird Flu

[george]

Bangkok declared 100% free of bird flu

BANGKOK: - The government today annouced Bangkok free from bird flu and proclaimed all Red Zone areas Yellow.

Deputy PM Somkid Jatusripitak said after a meeting with Deputy Bangkok governor and Deputy Agriculture Minister that all areas in Bangkok particularly Nong Jok district are clean from bird flu. Starting today, Bangkok's status changes from Red to Yellow surveillance zone.

The Deputy PM also stated that Thailand and Japan have agreed on the regulations of boiled chicken exports. Japan will send a team of experts to inspect Thai chicken factories next Thursday (19 February).

The Ministry of Agriculture re-iterated that the bird flu situation in Thailand will continue to improve.

--The Nation 2004-02-13

[dr_Pat_Pong]

and the cockatoo flew away with the cage.

[Pi Sua]

Thailand confirms sixth bird flu case

BANGKOK: - A 13-year-old boy has been confirmed as Thailand's sixth human case of bird flu, a senior health ministry official said on Thursday.

BANGKOK: - The government today annouced Bangkok free from bird flu and proclaimed all Red Zone areas Yellow.

Would it mean that was the last unluky boy who has gone taking away as the same time the bird flu with him !!!???

[george]

Leopard Dies of Bird Flu

CHONBURI: -- A leopard has died from bird flu in a Thai zoo, it was disclosed today.

The clouded leopard died at Khao Khiew Zoo in Chonburi province, 44 miles south of Bangkok, Minister of the Environment Prapat Panyachatraksa said.

“After double and triple tests, veterinarians confirmed that the leopard died from bird flu,” he said in Bangkok.

An official at the zoo said the leopard’s death “may have been as a result of it eating chicken infected with bird flu”.

The World Health Organisation said it had little information about the case – but if confirmed it could be the first time the disease has jumped to exotic animals or members of the cat family.

Bird flu has swept through Thailand, ravaging its poultry industry and killing five people. The disease has struck 10 countries and territories in Asia and has also killed 14 people in Vietnam.

Clouded leopards are an endangered subspecies in Southeast Asia.

The WHO’s Bangkok spokesman, John Rainford, said that if bird flu had jumped to leopards that any additional threat to human health would be minimal because of limited contact between people and exotic cats.

--Agencies 2004-02-13

[castelleone]

Bangkok declared 100% free of bird flu

Was there something? In two weeks all infected birds killed? Was it just a rumor?

Too good to be true, I suspect.

[Dove]

Too good to be true.

[megashox]

Maybe, we should ask Mr. David Bryne - "Mr. Know-it-all"?

[Spellbound]

Uttaradit hit by fresh outbreaks

Published on Feb 14, 2004

Wild birds blamed; Japan health team to visit processing plants next week

Fresh outbreaks of bird flu have been detected in two Uttaradit districts, dealing a blow to the government's nationwide deadline of yesterday for having the epidemic under control.

From a sampling of 800 chickens, bird flu was confirmed in seven villages located in Nam Pat and Muang districts, said Uttaradit Governor Preecha Butsri.

"The epidemic areas are quite remote and infected chickens in the one-kilometre radius are being culled, while the poultry population located within six kilometres is being placed under observation," he said.

Preecha said he anticipated no difficulty in rapidly containing the epidemic due to the low poultry population density in the new outbreak areas.

He speculated that the recent arrival of migrating wild ducks might have brought the fresh outbreaks of bird flu to the province.

Uttaradit previously reported that it had contained outbreaks in Tron and Phichai districts, which are currently designated as yellow zones for 21-day observation.

Meanwhile, the Agriculture Ministry and the Bangkok city administration yesterday removed Lat Krabang district from the list of confirmed outbreak areas and designated it a yellow zone.

Lat Krabang livestock chief Phadung Sutecha said more than 100,000 chickens, ducks, geese and pet birds had been slaughtered as part of the disease-control measures.

"Livestock officials are conducting health checks on Asian open-bill birds that migrate from Siberia to the district every year," he said.

The checks are a precautionary measure aimed at allaying residents' fears over bird flu, he added.

Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchob expressed optimism yesterday that the epidemic could be brought under control nationwide in the next few days.

"After eliminating all the red zones, the country would have to wait 21 days before declaring success in containing the epidemic," he said.

Newin said he and Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak would fly to Japan on Monday in order to lobby for the lifting of a ban on imports of cooked Thai chicken.

A Japanese health delegation has scheduled Thursday to arrive in Thailand for checks on poultry processing plants before reviewing the ban.

Somkid said the government would form a multi-agency task force, whose role will be to explain the country's handling of the bird-flu epidemic to international forums.

Piyanart Srivalo

Bunpim Bai-ya

THE NATION