# 1559
For some reason, this article doesn't mention their most recent suspected outbreak in Thailand's Northeast province, Kalasin, reported 2 days ago.
It focuses instead on the outbreaks in Phichit, and Nakhon Sawan provinces. According to authorities, these outbreaks are being successfully contained.
This from MCOT English News.
H5N1 bird flu detected in two Thai provinces
CHIANG MAI, Jan 29 (TNA) – Thailand's Livestock Development Department (LDD) confirmed that the avian influenza (bird flu) virus detected in Nakhon Sawan and Phichit provinces is the deadly H5N1 strain.
Department director-general Sakchai Sriboonsue said the lab test results confirmed that the bird flu virus found in chicken carcass samples from Nakhon Sawan and Phichit was identified as the H5N1 strain.
However, the disease has been contained with the culling of more than 54,000 chickens near the locations where the disease was detected. Over 2,500 poultry farmers have been banned from moving their animals and disinfectant was sprayed at more than 700 locations.
He said the situation is not as severe as the bird flu outbreak in 2004.
Meanwhile the Disease Control Department deputy director general said that since 2003 there have been 357 bird flu patients in 14 countries, of which 219 died of the potentially fatal disease.
In Thailand, there were 25 bird flu patients, of whom 17 died, he said, but no new human cases have been reported for 17 months.
The department has 31 people in Nakhon Sawan and Phichit under surveillance but none are sick or demonstrate bird flu symptoms.
He said the Public Health Ministry is well-prepared for a possible outbreak. It has stocked 2.4 million pills of the antiviral drug "Oseltamivir" and has distributed supplies to hospitals across the country. (TNA)-E004
