Friday, November 14, 2008

Nine provinces under special watch for bird flu

November 13, 2008

Public Health Ministry on Thursday declared nine northern provinces under a special watch for the deadly avian influenza after the disease was discovered in two districts in the region recently, a senior ministry official said.

Deputy Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Paichai Varachit said the decision to impose the special monitoring of the disease in the nine northern provinces was made at a meeting of ministry officials here early Thursday.

As cold weather began in most parts of Thailand, health officials on October 28 detected the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in a dead fowl in Thung Salium district of Sukhothai province.

Also, a number of birds were found dead of unknown causes in Nong Chang district of Uthai Thani province recently. [there is a post here that declares them positive for H5N1]

Every hospital in the nine provinces are also instructed to provide treatment speedily to patients suspected to have contracted avian influenza or live in areas where birds died for unknown causes without waiting for laboratory tests, said Dr Paichit. (TNA)

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