Thailand watches out H7N9 bird flu from int'l travelers

BANGKOK, April 4 (TNA) - Agencies concerned in Thailand have watched out for signs of H7N9 bird flu from international visitors to the Kingdom, especially those from China, where there have been two fatalities from the new deadly viral strain. Dr. Thawee Chotepitayasunont, Adviser to the Thai Ministry of Public Health's Department of Medical Services, told reporters on Thursday that he discussed the issue with representatives of the Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention, as well as Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment on Wednesday and has then ordered surveillance measures to cope with possible arrivals in the country of the H7N9 avian flu, which has been spreading in China. Dr. Thawee acknowledged that the surveillance measures cover farm and migrant animals and preparations of laboratories of the Department of Medical Sciences, Chulalongkorn Hospital and Siriraj Hospital for relevant tests. According to the advisor, he has also sought to download the genetic code of the H7N9 virus from China to facilitate tests for the disease in Thailand. So far, human-to-human transmission of the H7N9 avian influenza virus has not been detected in China and international travels to China have not yet been banned. However, international travelers to and from China are advised to monitor their symptoms and to immediately see doctors for tests in case that they have high temperatures. (TNA)