Thailand on alert against bird flu, Coronavirus

BANGKOK, November 12 (TNA) - Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health has warned the public of winter diseases and told hospitals and public health centres in Bangkok and all other provinces to closely monitor patients with respiratory problems. Thai Public Health Dr. Pradit Sinthawanarong cautioned on Tuesday that viral strains can grow well and spread quickly in the cold weather, especially the fatal H5N1 and H7N9 strains of bird flu and the Coronavirus 2012. Dr. Pradit told reporters that he has, therefore, instructed all public health offices and centres nationwide to closely watch out patients with pneumonia-like symtoms in their respective areas and run laboratory tests in order to detect the diseases in time. The Thai health minister also advised people not to eat sick or dead poultry, but report to public health or livestock officials immediately if they find out or know about any suspicious dead poultry. Meanwhile, the ministry's Department of Disease Control reported that there had been a total of 153,472 people in Thailand diagnosed with pneumonia from January 1–November 4, 2013, and 855 of them had died, but there had been no bird flu and Coronavirus cases. According to the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO), 64 out of 150 people in 10 countries had died from Coronavirus 2012 from January 1–October 8, 2013, while 20 out of 31 people in six countries had died from H5N1 infections during the same period. (TNA)