Guest guest Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/3872263.stm Last Updated: Wednesday, 7 July, 2004, 05:19 GMT 06:19 UK Thailand confirms bird flu cases New outbreaks of bird flu have been confirmed at two farms in Thailand. The virus is the same type that killed 24 people in Asia earlier this year, including eight in Thailand, and ravaged poultry flocks. Chickens in and around the farms in Ayutthaya and Phathumthani provinces have been culled, the deputy agricultural minister said. Meanwhile, officials in China said the same strain of bird flu had been found in the eastern province of Anhui. There has also been a recent outbreak in Vietnam. Cull under way " The lab test results have come out and confirmed that it was H5N1 at two farms in Ayutthaya and Phathumthani, " said Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchob. He was referring to the strain of avian flu that, if transferred to humans, can be fatal. Mr Newin said at least 8,000 birds had been destroyed in efforts to keep the outbreaks under control. The bulk of the cull so far appears to have taken place in Ayutthaya, which borders Phathumthani. This is the first confirmed outbreak in Thailand since April. On 14 May, the Thai Government declared the country free from bird flu after some 40 million birds had been culled. The resurgence of the disease could cause problems for Thailand's economy - the country is the fourth largest chicken exporter in the world. Migratory birds link? On Tuesday, health officials in China said they had isolated a chicken farm in Chaohu city, and killed or vaccinated all poultry within a radius of 5km (3 miles) because of a suspected avian flu outbreak. State media said the farm was located on a lakeside, and there were suspicions the chickens might have contracted the disease from migratory birds. Small outbreaks of avian flu also have been reported in neighbouring Vietnam in recent months. Scientists fear that at some point the deadly strain of the virus will mutate in a way which enables it to transmit from person to person, which could spark a major epidemic. -- Dave Neale UK Director Animals Asia Foundation ANIMALS ASIA HAS A BRAND NEW WEBSITE! Find out more about our historic China Bear Rescue and Friends or Food? projects by visiting the Animals Asia Foundation website at http://www.animalsasia.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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