5 replies to this topic

[Jai Dee]

Bird flu virus in Mukdahan

The Department of Livestock has found the bird flu virus in Mukdahan province near the border areas of Thailand and Laos. Mukdahan is the fourth location, following the bird flu sightings in Phitsanulok, Ang Thong, and Nong Khai provinces.

Mr. Niran Euangtrakulsuk, the Director of the Bureau of Disease Control and Veterinary Service, says the bird flu virus was found in the samples of local chickens and turkeys in Muang district of Mukdahan on March 18. The authority is now keeping a close watch of the areas for 30 days and has culled 199 chickens in the province. Following the inspection, officials have discovered that the standard of poultry is unacceptable, and many types of poultry are staying in the same area.

However, the Department of Livestock has told the Governor of Mukdahan, who also acts as the chairman of the provincial bird flu control committee, about the smuggling of poultry between Thailand and Laos.

Officials in Mukdahan are imposing strict measures and spraying disinfectants throughout the province.  

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 March 2007

[Jai Dee]

Fresh bird-flu outbreak confirmed in Mukdaharn

A fresh outbreak of bird flu was confirmed Monday in Mukdaharn.

The Livestock Department announced that a lab test confirmed that 50 ducks, which were found dead in the northeastern province, had contracted H5N1 virus.

The ducks were found dead on March 9.

Source: The Nation - 20 March 2007

[Jai Dee]

Bird-flu strikes Mukdahan

Mukdahan was declared a "disease outbreak" zone yesterday after lab tests confirmed that a local turkey died of the bird-flu virus.

The specimen from Muang district was submitted for tests last Friday.

Public health officials are now closely monitoring six local people from the same family because they cooked and ate a turkey that died suspiciously. Although they did not develop any symptoms, all except a three-month pregnant woman were given bird-flu medicine Tamiflu as a precaution.

"Last Friday, we also culled about 120 fowls, buried their bodies and sprayed disinfectant," provincial livestock chief Suwat Ponglikhitpat said yesterday. He said livestock officials took action immediately after the suspicious deaths of local fowls were reported.

Earlier this year, bird-flu infections were detected in Nong Khai, Angthong, and Phitsanulok.

Source: The Nation - 20 March 2007

[Jai Dee]

Tamiflu given to Mukdahan people suspicious of contracting bird flu

Director-General of the Department of Disease Control reveals that six Mukdahan people who contacted poultry died of bird flu have taken Tamiflu medicine for seven consecutive days, starting from March 16th.

Director-General of the Department of Disease Control, Md.Thawas Suthrajarn (ธวัช สุนทราจารย์) says he was reported of a bird flu outbreak in poultry in Muang District, Mukdahan Province. The district was already declared as a red zone area.

As for Laos’ Savannakhet Province which is opposite Mukdahan, it was also declared as a bird flu outbreak area. The bird flu situation in Savannakhet is likely to escalate as the pandemic there is spread mainly by wild birds.

The Public Health Minister has instructed Md.Panya Sonkhom, Md.Prat Boonyawongwirote (ปราชญ์ บุณยวงศ์วิโรจน์), and Md.Thawas Suthrajarn to visit residents in Mukdahan today (March, 20th) and educate them about the pandemic.

Md.Panya Sonkhom is the Prime Minister’s advisor and Md.Prat Boonyawongwirote is the Permanent Secretary of Public Health.  

Source: Thai National News Bureau Public Relations Department - 20 March 2007

[Mai Krap]

I posted about this a week ago and it did not not get even one comment. The bird flu crises is back in full swing everywhere there is a bridge into Laos. The spraying of a few trucks here and there is is of little matter when you have open flyways and VIP cargo that is not even checked. It is no secret that chicken meat is being imported into Thailand from Laos, any idiot could put that together if you look at the commercial chicken industry just over the bridge.

  The local Thais and Laos all heard the story of the bird flu last year and because it was held in check they now believe it is a chicken little sky is falling equivalent impossibility now. On Sunday afternoon as I drove down a main highway there was a large gathering of chicken fighters just off the highway having fights as usual even though the local chicken fighting arena is closed due to the outbreak of the chicken flu. Either administrators in Bangkok are completely clueless on this matter or more likely they don't give a toss, business,,,, I mean corruption as usual. Nobody wants to stand up to a mafia, even if their less than deadly sport could spread nightmare of death throughout this country.

   In one of many worst case scenarios   we will end up having a group of children die. The current problem is the tradition of keeping live chickens under the house. Where this gets incredibly stupid is the keeping of live and loose chickens on the grounds of every school I have ever visited or drove past in Isarn. This is one complete failure that is being completely overlooked or denied. If you are a parent you should check out your children's school  for yourself and take action to have all chickens removed from the grounds.  

   I realize the removing of chickens from the immediate house hold is a burden and nobody expects every Joe Khao to kill off the family chickens because of the current threat. What must happen is a for there to be an awareness that living with and amongst chickens is unhealthy. There must also be some kind of standard implemented on raising chickens in proximity to humans.  Until these simple things happen the entire Nation of Thailand is riding without a helmet.

[wazza11]

will bird flu spread to outside asia? i'm getting really really afraid of that... stats of last year of before show that only 214 but 128 died of it.. it's really frightening huh?