Thailand, Laos enhance anti-bird flu cooperation

BANGKOK, June 17 (TNA) - Thailand and Laos have stepped up bilateral cooperation on practical response to any possible outbreak of the new deadly A(H7N9) strain of avian influenza along their common border. As part of the bilateral cooperation, a workshop was organized on Monday in Thailand's northeastern Nong Khai province, drawing together Thai and Lao authorities concerned, including those from Thailand’s disease control office, region 6, in Khon Kaen and Nong Khai provinces and Laos' agriculture and forestry office, to jointly review and launch rehearsals on prepared plans against any possible outbreak of the A(H7N9) strain of the bird flu in areas along their common border, although there have been no reports of any spreading of the new virus. Meanwhile, Wichai Khattiyawittayakul, chief of Nakhon Ratchasima's public health office, chaired a public forum on preparations for any spreading of both human flu and avian flu in the northeastern Thai region, after there have been more than 10,000 A(H7N9) bird flu cases in China so far, about 100 of them have died. (TNA)