Latest outbreak of H5N1 in Angthong

Angthong is the latest and the third province in the country to have detected birdflu infections this year.

Livestock Development Department (LDD) director general Pirom Srijan confirmed on Thursday that some chicken and fighting cocks in the central province's Samko district were infected with the H5N1, which caused the deadly bird flu.

"We have culled local fowls in the risky area since Jan 23 as a preventative measure," Pirom said. He said he received the lab-test results that confirmed the birdflu infections on Wednesday's night.

Phitsanulok and Nong Khai were two other provinces where birdflu infections were confirmed this year.

Pirom said he already alerted relevant authorities about the birdflu infections in Angthong.

Dr Nirandorn Uangtrakoonsook, who heads the LDD Bureau of Disease Control and Veterinary Services, said his agency now instructed the Angthong governor to immediately suspend cockfighting activities.

Other preventative measures, including disinfectant spraying, were also in place.

Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla remained confident that the country would be able to prevent the bird flu from spreading.

"We have good monitoring mechanisms in place. We have publichealth volunteers across the country. When we detect the infections earlier, we can eradicate the risks

In a related development, Phitsanulok publichealth chief Dr Thawatchai Kamontham visited a 15 year-old girl being hospitalised with birdflulike symptoms after clearing bird droppings from her school building on January 25.

Two of her friends also developed similar symptoms, but lab tests showed they caught the human flu.

The Nation
Thu, February 1, 2007