Asia - Bird flu becomes endemic in Thailand: official
Published:July 12, 2005
Source :China View
The latest outbreak of avian influenza found in central Thailand showed the disease had become endemic in the region, said an official from Public Health Ministry.
The H5N1 virus was detected in the central province of Suphan Buri in every round of X-ray surveillance, newspaper Nation on Tuesday quoted Thawat Suntrajarn, director-general of the Disease Control Department, as saying.
Fresh bird flu cases have been found in the province and hundreds of fowls have been culled, the Agriculture Ministry said on Sunday.
The official assured the public there is no need for panic, forno humans have been infected and the virus has not spread to other areas.
The Disease Control Department would continue surveying the area for 10 days, he added.
Thailand has never been clean of bird flu virus since the beginning of last year, when the first wave of avian influenza hit the kingdom.
Recurrent bird flu outbreak has dealt great impact on the kingdom's poultry industry, which supplied world's fourth largest poultry export shipment.
The latest outbreak also shelved the Agriculture Ministry's campaign to boost Thailand's fresh chicken exports in the second half of the year.
