Thailand stays vigilant against bird flu throughout winter

BANGKOK, November 18 (TNA) - The Thai Ministry of Public Health has ordered all of its provincial offices to be on high alert against all strains of bird flu throughout the ongoing winter, particularly in border areas and those with previous records of avian flu cases. Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Narong Sahamethapat told journalists of the move on Tuesday, in response to reports on an outbreak of a new bird flu strain, H5N8, at a poultry farm in the Netherlands on November 17, where 150,000 chickens were culled and a 72-hour ban on all movements of poultry, eggs and even dung were strictly imposed consequently. Dr. Narong confirmed that there has been no H5N8 avian flu case in Thailand so far, but only NH5N1 bird flu cases, in which human victims faced a failure in their respiratory system and pneumonia. Dr. Narong noted that birds are migrating from cold areas overseas to warmer areas in Thailand and an re-emerging bird flu outbreak is, therefore, possible in the country, despite the fact that Thailand has not seen any bird flu case since 2006. Dr. Narong cautioned that Thailand remains at risk of any repeated avian flu outbreak, especially the H5N1 strain, as H5N1 cases have been continually reported in neighbouring countries and a close watch against it is, thus, needed in Thai border areas. According to a latest World Health Organisation (WHO) report, there have been seven strains of bird flu which may be transmitted to humans, the most acute one is the H5N1 strain with its confirmed human victims from 2003-2014 standing at 668 totally worldwide, 393 of whom have died in 16 countries. WHO also reported that in 2014 alone, there have been 19 H5N1 bird flu cases worldwide, eight of them have died in Egypt, China, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam. (TNA)