Another Thai Man Suspected Dead Of Bird Flu

[george]

Thailand reports death of man suspected of bird flu

BANGKOK: Thailand reported the death of another man suspected of having contracted the bird flu virus.

The middle-aged butcher had been one of the first patients to be hospitalised.

Doctors have yet to confirm if he was indeed infected with the H5N1 virus.

The latest death has led many Thais to question the number of actual bird flu cases in the kingdom.

Thailand has so far reported nine confirmed bird flu cases - two have fully recovered and the other seven have died.

Then there are the officially-acknowledged 21 suspected cases. Of this group, there are eight fatalities.

But many say the actual numbers could be much higher.

Fuelling suspicions, nearly 130 patients are currently being treated for lung infections.

Most of them are from infected areas across the country.

Local media reports suggest there has been a rise in deaths resulting from respiratory problems.

Many families of the dead suspect that their loved ones had died of bird flu, but death certificates state "pneumonia and lung infection" as the cause of death.

Some critics go as far as saying that the government is reluctant to confirm such cases, fearing that the bird flu numbers would jump.

Several families are taking their cases to court.

In the case of Thailand's first bird flu victim, it took doctors 14 days to confirm that he was infected with the h5N1 virus before he died.

His parents insist that if doctors were more prepared in handling the disease, their son's life could have been saved.

Six-year-old Captain Boonmanoot had been playing with his uncle's chickens everyday.

Even after hearing news of the bird flu outbreak in other countries, the boy's parents said they did not tell their son to stay away from the chickens because the government said it was safe.

Chamnan Boonmanoot, the victim's father, said: "If they had warned us even when they suspected the outbreak in Nakornsawan province, we would have protected ourselves. Nobody wants to die."

Nearly a month after their son's death, the couple still does not have answers.

Chamnan added: "It is not our fault. It is not the child's fault. Whose fault is it? We want justice. They cannot just cover things up without thinking how it will affect people like us."

The government has continually denied the cover-up allegations.

--CNA 2004-02-23