Bird flu in Thailand two children being tested for probable infection

Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 25 Jul 2004 - 11:00 PDT

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Two children in Thailand are being tested for suspected bird flu (avian flu). Bird flu seems to be taking hold again in Thailand.

Previous outbreaks have had a severe impact on the country's poultry industry, which is a huge earner of foreign currency.

Nittaya Chanruangmahaphol, a spokesperson for the Thai Health Ministry believes that one of the children, a 14-year-old boy probably does have bird flu. They do not know whether this boy had been in contact with chickens or birds, she said.

Both children come from the north east of the country, from a province called Nong Khai.

15 Thai provinces currently have occurrences of bird flu.

The other child, a girl, had been in close contact with chickens, said Dr Charal Trinvuthiphong, head of Disease Control, Thai Ministry of Health.

Dr Charal Trinvuthiphong said "The girl was reported to have played with and touched chickens. We are waiting for the lab test which was sent to Bangkok."

The whole of Thailand is on high alert. Anyone in the country who displays bird flu like symptoms should be taken to hospital immediately, say officials.