H5N1 hits poultry in Thailand

Lisa Schnirring
Avian Influenza (Bird Flu)
Influenza, General

Nov 10, 2008 (CIDRAP News) – The agriculture ministry in Thailand today confirmed an H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in backyard birds in Sukhothai province, the country's first outbreak since January, according to news agencies.

Agriculture Minister Somsak Prisanananthakul said lab tests yesterday revealed an H5N1 infection in one chicken after 7 of 17 birds at a family home died last week, the Associated Press reported today. Sukothai province is in northwestern Thailand.

Somsak told reporters at a press conference today that animal health officials culled 270 other birds in the area to control the virus, according to a report from Agence Presse-France today. He added that officials have received no reports of suspicious human illnesses related to the poultry outbreak and that authorities were investigating the source of the outbreak.

Thailand's last outbreaks were reported in January, according to an April report from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). Those two outbreaks struck poultry in Nakhon Sawan and Phichit provinces, both in central Thailand. Officials culled 53,688 birds at the outbreak sites and another 5,120 birds from surrounding areas.

See also:

Apr 25 OIE report

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