Thailand Confirms 10th Case Of Bird Flu

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Thailand confirms 10th case of bird flu

BANGKOK : Thailand confirmed its 10th case of bird flu in humans on Friday, saying a female hospital worker recovered after contracting the virus which has killed seven people in the kingdom, officials said.

"The public health ministry listed the latest confirmed case of bird flu in a 47-year-old woman from Lopburi province after the laboratory test from the medical science department was positive," Charal Trinvuthipong, director general of the ministry's disease control department, said in a statement.

The woman, a cleaner at a provincial hospital, became infected with the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza after having direct contact with 80 fighting cocks which began dying on January 23.

"The patient had dumped dead chickens, burned them and buried them by herself without wearing any protective gear," Charal said.

She then fell ill and was hospitalised on February 20 with pnuemonia but was released Febuary 25 after recovering.

The woman had been classified as under surveillance for bird flu, a listing which now has 136 other sick people in various stages of pneumonia or other respiratory disorders that are being monitored by authorities.

Thailand also lists 20 suspected bird flu infections, including seven deaths and 12 already released from hospital.

It has confirmed 10 cases of bird flu in people, including three patients who made a complete recovery.

Vietnam, with 15 confirmed deaths, and Thailand are the only countries to report bird flu infections in humans.

- AFP 2004-02-27