A new bird flu outbreak has been detected in Thailand's northern
province of Phichit, but no human infection was found by far, Thai
livestock officials said Friday.
Laboratory tests showed samples from villagers in Sak Lek
district to have the H5N1 virus, said Thailand's Livestock
Development Department under the Agriculture Ministry.
According to the announcement of the department, about 30
chicken in Phichit have already died.
This is the second bird flu outbreak in Thailand this year.
Thefirst outbreak was confirmed on Thursday in lower northern
Nakhon Sawan Province, which borders Phichit.
Early Friday, Sakchai Sriboonsue, director-general of the
department, said Nakhon Sawan was immediately declared a bird flu
outbreak zone after the outbreak. All poultry movements are banned
without official permission.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of chickens in district found the
virus in Nakhon Sawan were culled and disinfectant was sprayed
throughout nearby areas.
Bird flu outbreaks have plagued Thailand during the past years.
The most recent big outbreak was reported in March 2007 in
northeastern province of Mukdahan bordering Laos.
Last September, Phichit also reported detection of the H5N1
virus that killed dozens of chickens raised by a villager.
The latest wave of bird flu outbreaks in Thailand since 2004 has
seen 25 people infected with the deadly H5N1 virus, 17 of whom
died. ?
(Xinhua News Agency January 26, 2008)