Bird flu spreads in Thailand

2005-01-24 13:09

Bangkok - The deadly bird flu virus has been detected in a third province in Thailand, after two outbreaks were detected earlier this month, Thai authorities said on Monday.

"There are outbreaks in three provinces," Yukol Limlamthong, director general of Livestock Development Department, told reporters.

The third outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus this month had been detected in locally bred chickens in the western province of Nakhon Pathom, he said.

Some 711 chickens in the district of Dontoom died of bird flu and 464 others were culled to prevent the disease from spreading, the department said in a statement.

The cases were confirmed as bird flu on January 19, and the district was placed under 21-day surveillance, the department said.

Thailand has been under high alert for bird flu since two other outbreaks of the virus were detected earlier in the month in Rayong and Phitsanulok provinces.

Twelve people have died in Thailand from the virus that has swept Asia since December 2003.

Bird flu claimed two more victims in Vietnam on Saturday with five other deaths announced last week.

- AFP