Child (6) dies from Avian Flu in Thailand

Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 26 Jan 2004 - 0:00 PDT


A child of six has died in Thailand (Bangkok) from avian flu. This is the first death (confirmed) in Thailand. Authorities are still not sure whether a man who died last week had avian flu or not.

Six other people have died in Vietnam.

The boy (it is thought) picked up the virus by touching the carcasses of infected chickens. He lived in the western Kanchaburi province.

The authorities (in Thailand) have confirmed that a girl (10) and a woman (58) were also infected. The woman is from the neighbouring province of Suphanburi. Another boy (7) from this province was infected last week.

Apparently, the boy's health deteriorated very rapidly. It is difficult for humans to get bird flu (avian flu), but when they do they tend to go down very fast.

Thailand's emergency areas have increased from 2 to 10. The government has enlisted soldiers (and in some cases prisoners) to help cull millions of chickens.

The Prime Minister said that his government had kept quiet about the bird flu outbreak in the country because he was worried about causing public panic (people are not happy with this cover up).

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