Thailand’s growing bird flu cases

Just when Thailand has tightened her bird flu surveillance, new cases have been cropping up almost every week and now 164 suspected human bird flu cases have been reported. Fifteen Thais have already died from H5N1 infection.

Yesterday, a 9-year old girl from Lop Buri died from what investigators fear might be another case of bird flu. Mysteriously, none of the dozens of home-raised birds in her neighborhood had died. Nineteen other patients from the girl’s hometown are on the watch list.

In the eastern province of Chachoengsao, two other suspected bird flu cases were reported. The patients worked in a duck processing plant where carcasses are routinely handled.

Other provinces with reported suspected bird-flu cases include Sukhothai, Nan, Phitsanulok, Phetchabun, Kamphaeng Phet, Kanchanaburi, Chiang Mai, Uttaradit, Nakhon Phanom, Nakhon Pathom, Prachin Buri, Lampang, Nakhon Sawan and Nonthaburi.

[News Sources: The Nation; Bangkok Post]

Tags: avian flu, flu outbreak, H5N1, Thailand