Health officials to discuss bird flu

Health officials to discuss bird flu

BANGKOK, Nov 12 (TNA) - Public Health Ministry officials from nine northern Thai provinces will confer Thursday on the deadly avian influenza after the disease was discovered in two districts following the abrupt arrival of winter in recent days, a senior ministry official said Wednesday. Disease Control Department director-general Dr. Somchai Chakrabhand said the government officials will meet in Phitsanulok where the the potentially deadly disease was detected in chicken carcasses and in humans several times in the past few years. The meeting was convened after the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu was detected in a dead fowl in Thung Saliam district of central Sukhothai province on October 28. Also, a number of birds were found dead of unknown causes in Nong Chang district of Uthai Thani province recently. Deputy Public Health Minister Vicharn Minchainant said that the country if fortunate that no humans who have contracted bird flu have been found in the two provinces so far. However, health officials are now closely monitoring the situation in the two provinces on a daily basis. Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Praj Boonyawongvirot said his ministry had established a "war room" to assess the bird flu situation in the country on a regular basis and also to launch campaigns among the public to warn about the danger of the disease and how to respond to it. (TNA)