3 Thai patients suspected of bird flu infection

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, January 23, 2004

3 Thai patients suspected of bird flu infection

The Thai government on Wednesday night admitted three patients with pneumonia-like symptoms were being tested for bird flu infection, local press reported on Thursday.

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The Thai government on Wednesday night admitted three patients with pneumonia-like symptoms were being tested for bird flu infection, local press reported on Thursday.

Tests on blood and sputum samples of the three Thais were beingrun at the Medical Sciences Department of the Public Health Ministry, Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said after an urgent meeting held on Wednesday evening.

The minister said the results of the test would be available inthree days. The three patients include one butcher, a child and a farmer living in central Thailand.

"We are concerned about human health and have closely monitoredthe possible occurrence of bird flu," the minister was quoted by Bangkok Post as saying.

But Sudarat insisted that no case of bird flu, which has wreaked havoc in Vietnam, Japan and South Korea, had been confirmed in Thailand and the kingdom was still considered free ofthe disease.

The government's declaration of suspected bird flu infection itself was enough to fuel long-existing public concern and suspicion over the situation of the country's poultry industry.

As early as January 14, the Thai government declared the country free of bird flu and attributed large-scale chicken deathson farms to fowl cholera and bronchitis caused by the change of seasons.

Trying to curb the spread of the disease, about 850,000 chickens had been killed since November and the Agriculture Ministry had ordered strict rules to laughter and transport sick chicken in 20 provinces.

The Thai public and farmers however had doubted the government's explanation of the disease devastating the country's poultry population.

A group of consumer rights handed over the parliament a letter accusing the government of covering up the real situation and asking for serious investigation on Jan. 15, one day after Thai Prime Minister Thaksin declared the country free of bird flu.

Local press also reported that some farmers said their chicken died with a swollen body and bleeding, similar to those dying of bird flu.

To prove the country was safe from the attack of bird flu, Sudarat and Thaksin respectively ate chicken before reporters' cameras.

So far, Singapore, Cambodia and Laos have banned import of chicken from Thailand for fear of the foul cholera.

Being the world fourth-largest chicken exporter, Thailand shipped out some 500,000 tons of chicken worth a total of 52 billion baht (about 1.23 US dollars) last year. The kingdom has a target of 600,000 tons of chicken export for this year.

Source: Xinhua

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