# 6981
Among the Asian nations that were first impacted by the H5N1 threat between 2003 - 2006, Thailand has arguably had the greatest success in containing the virus.
Thailand, which instituted very aggressive surveillance measures, hasn’t recorded a human infection since 2006 (when three fatal cases were reported), and poultry infections are rarely reported anymore.
Understandably, the recent spike in avian flu infection just across the border in Cambodia (see Cambodian Efforts To Control Bird Flu) has officials on guard.
Overnight the Bangkok Post reported that a nationwide alert has been issued, surveillance has been heightened, and antiviral medications have been shipped to hospitals.
Bird flu alert nationwide
Published: 5 Mar 2013 at 16.05
Provincial health offices across Thailand have been ordered on high alert for bird flu following the death of eight people from the virus in Cambodia so far this year, permanent secretary for public health Narong Sahamethapat said on Tuesday.
Ly Sovann, deputy head of the Cambodian health ministry's disease surveillance bureau, confirmed that nine cases of bird flu had been reported since Jan 1, with eight fatalities, Mr Narong said.
Health officials have to be alert, particularly in Sa Kaeo province, where Cambodian people cross the border every day to trade, he said.
Another report, from the National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT), provides additional details on the increased border surveillance.
Birds and eggs banned from entering Thailand from Cambodia; vehicles sprayed at border points
SA KAEW, 5 March 2013 (NNT) – Top officials from the Livestock Development Department inspected the work of the animal quarantine center in Sa Kaew province, located on the shared border with Cambodia. Officials at the quarantine center, situated at Ban Khlong Luek permanent border point, now implements such measures as spraying antiseptics on every vehicle passing through the border point and banning the bringing in of all birds. All eggs are also being banned from entering.
The tightening of animal quarantine and inspection came in the wake of the 9 fatalities in Cambodia that reportedly resulted from H5N1 avian influenza.
Officials at every animal quarantine center at every border point along the Thai-Cambodian border have also been ordered to implement similar measures.
And in Cambodia, the Prime Minister is asking citizens to work together to halt the spread of the virus. This report from Xinhua News.
Cambodian PM urges citizens to jointly prevent bird flu outbreaks
PHNOM PENH, March 5 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday called on the public to work together to prevent and eliminate the spread of Avian Influenza H5N1 virus, which has killed eight people so far this year.
"I'd like to appeal to all people and local authorities to join campaigns to prevent the spread of bird flu, which has threatened our country in the last two months," the premier said during a groundbreaking ceremony for a road construction in eastern Kampong Cham province. "This is the worst outbreak in the kingdom -- in nine cases, eight people died."
He also urged radios and television channels to broadly broadcast awareness campaigns about the virus.
"If you see any ill or dead poultry, please immediately report to local health agents," Hun Sen said, advising people not to eat sick or dead poultry.
Last Friday, the premier issued a circular, ordering all relevant ministries and institutions to take "strict measures" to prevent and eliminate the spread of the virus.
He instructed the ministry of agriculture to thoroughly and constantly inspect poultry's health throughout the country, and to carry out bio-safety and sanitary measures at all poultry farms, slaughter-houses and markets.
He also ordered the interior ministry to take a firm and urgent measure to prevent the illegal trafficking of poultry and poultry- made products in all images and at anywhere.
Cambodia sees the worst outbreak of the virus this year since the disease was first identified in 2004. To date, the country has recorded 30 human cases of the virus, which claimed the lives of 27 people.
The latest death was a 35-year-old man from eastern Kampong Cham province, who died on Monday last week.
Human infections with the H5N1 virus are always a concern:
- Because of the high fatality rate among known cases
- And because each time the virus jumps from its normal (avian) host to a human (or other mammal), it gives it another opportunity to adapt and change.
Despite hundreds (perhaps thousands) of such opportunities, the virus remains poorly adapted to human physiology. It can produce severe illness – even death – but only rarely is transmitted on to another person.
For now, it is primarily a threat to poultry, and to a lesser extent, those who work in close contract with poultry.
Nevertheless, the potential for this status quo to change exists, and so the world remains in a pre-pandemic alert level 3 for the H5N1 virus.
