BBC 1/24/04: Thailand confirms two human cases of bird flu, prompting the government to suspend all chicken exports.

[Guest guest]

>BBC DAILY E-MAIL: UK EDITION

>Friday, 23 January, 2004, 09:00 GMT 01:00 US/Pacific

>

> * Thailand confirms human bird flu *

>Thailand confirms two human cases of bird flu, prompting the

>government to suspend all chicken exports.

>Full story:

>http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3422035.stm

>

Fears grow over bird flu outbreak

 

 

Millions of birds have died or been culled across Asia

 

The European Union has joined Japan in banning imports of Thai

poultry amid growing international alarm over the spread of bird flu.

 

Thailand has confirmed its first two cases of avian flu in humans,

and a Thai man tested for the virus has died.

 

Bird flu has affected poultry in Japan, Taiwan, South Korea - and

also Vietnam, where it has killed five people.

 

The World Health Organisation warned that the latest outbreak could

mutate and become more dangerous to humans.

 

Bird flu has been ravaging Asian flocks, but has so far only jumped

from birds to humans in a handful of cases.

 

A 56-year-old Thai chicken butcher - one of six people being tested

for bird flu in Thailand - died of pneumonia, Thai government

officials said.

 

Bangkok had already confirmed that two boys had contracted the virus

after touching carcasses of infected poultry - one boy in Suphanburi

and one in Kanchanaburi province.

 

First jumped " species barrier " from bird to human in 1997

In humans, similar symptoms include fever, sore throat, and cough

Types known to infect humans are influenza A subtypes H5N1 and H9N2

 

The authorities say anyone suffering from fever and bronchitis after

having been in contact with poultry should seek urgent medical

attention.

 

Following the announcement, the European Union declared it was

banning poultry imports from Thailand, after Japan took a similar

step on Thursday.

 

The EU ban - on all poultry and poultry products slaughtered after 1

January - takes immediate effect.

 

Imports of steamed poultry heated to 70 degrees C can continue as

this process kills the virus.

 

Chicken rearing is a major industry for Thailand, one of the world's

largest chicken exporters.

 

The two markets account for the majority of Thailand's annual $1.3bn

of chicken export earnings.

 

Earlier reports that Thailand was halting all chicken exports were

later denied by deputy agriculture minister Newin Chidchob.

 

'Growing threat'

 

The latest bird flu outbreak has been spreading across Asia for

weeks, but until Thailand's announcement, it was only known to have

jumped to humans in Vietnam.

 

BIRD FLU TIMELINE

 

Nov 2003 - Thailand deals with what it calls chicken cholera

15 Dec - S Korea confirms bird flu outbreak

9 Jan 2004- UN sends help to Vietnam after bird flu outbreak

11 Jan - First of five Vietnamese deaths confirmed as bird flu

13 Jan - Japan confirms bird flu outbreak

15 Jan - Taiwan announces different strain of bird flu

21 Jan - Laos reports suspected chicken cholera

23 Jan - Thailand confirms first human cases of bird flu

23 Jan - Cambodia detects first case in chickens

 

 

WHO spokesman Bob Dietz, speaking in Vietnam, said that it could

become more of a threat to humans as it spread because its form may

alter.

 

" It is impossible to predict a time or date for this, but there are

mounting opportunities for the virus to alter its form and begin

affecting the human population, " Mr Dietz said.

 

The Lancet medical journal also issued a dire warning on Friday,

saying standard vaccines would be useless against the virus if it

started spreading through humans.

 

At present, there is no evidence to suggest it can be passed on from

one person to another.

 

Thailand's public health ministry issued the following advice for

people to protect themselves against the flu:

 

 

* Eat chicken only when it is well cooked and only eat cooked eggs

 

* Anyone developing fever, muscular aches and severe

respiratory problems should report to health professionals

 

* Farm workers should wash their hands thoroughly and anyone

working with poultry should wear masks and gloves

 

* Different species of poultry should be separated and their

coops kept clean.

 

 

 

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