Bird Flu Center

One of the world’s largest poultry exporters, Thailand, announced the death of a man from the Phetchabun province, lying about 350 kilometers north of Bangkok. The man had tested positive for H5N1, the avian influenza virus, and now part of the province is declared a red zone, as the highest level of bird flu alert. Although the case is the only one in the last 7 months in the country, world wide bird flu caused fatalities have tripled this year, as the virus has spread rapidly among wild birds and most noticeably domestic poultry, infecting flocks across 38 countries. New cases give reasons for concern the the virus could mutate into a form easily transmittable among humans, which could cause a flu pandemic. Of the 231 people infected world wide since the first outbreak, three years ago, 133 have died. Thailand in particular has faced 18 human flu cases, two of which were in the Phichit province.