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In the first month of 2007, Thailand has tested more than 400 suspected bird flu cases, but none has tested positive for the H5N1 virus. This from MCOT News.
No bird flu patient so far: Thailand assures
BANGKOK, Feb 5 (TNA) – There has been no bird flu patient since the beginning of this year while 27 cases suspected of contracting the bird flu are awaiting lab test results, said Disease Control Director General Dr. Thawat Suntrajarn.
Since the beginning of this year, 446 people have been suspected of contracting the bird flu but none of them was confirmed to have the deadly disease so far.
Of the 25 human cases of bird flu infection confirmed to date in Thailand, 17 have been fatal.
Meanwhile, the Public Health Ministry plans to increase the staff of the Surveillance and Rapid Response Team (SRRT) to cover every district in order to act responsively if bird flu outbreaks occur.
Dr. Somyos Charoensak, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Public Health, on Monday presided over a workshop to develop the potential of SRRT teams in the provincial level. The workshop was participated by some 400 SRRT leaders.
The Public Health Ministry had set up 1,030 SRRT teams in 2005, said Dr. Somyos, adding that in 2006, SRRT teams could control 1,535 outbreaks in 419 districts or 45 per cent of all districts.(TNA)-E004
While there have been several deaths in January from patients exhibiting influenza-like illnesses in Thailand, all have tested negative for bird flu. An investigation has been promised into whether some new, more virulent strain of seasonal flu is circulating in Thailand.
Seasonal Influenza, of course, is perfectly capable of contributing to someone's death, and that happens thousands of times each year in the United States, and around the world. What made these deaths suspicious were the ages of the victims, and the rapidity of the onset of symptoms and death.
Thailand, after a somewhat slow start, has shown a greater openness when dealing with bird flu issues over the past few months, and that is a hopeful sign.
