131 suspected bird flu cases
August 2nd, 2006
The Thai Public Health Ministry said on Monday that laboratory tests have been conducted on samples taken from 131 people suspected to have contracted the bird flu virus. They are all under surveillance until a positive confirmation of the disease. Since the beginning of this year there have been almost 2,000 cases of suspicions in humans. The most affected province is now Phichit, with 37 of the persons suspected to be carriers of the virus living in that area. Sukhothai and Phitsanulok are two other provinces with a high number of suspicions. Medical experts and senior health officials are on high alert in an attempt to control the virus, as well as dengue, fever and hand, foot and mouth syndrome. 300,000 fowls were culled on Sunday alone in the province of Nakhon Phanom, where diseased chickens had been found. 765 persons in the area were also monitored for a period of two weeks, to make sure the virus had not spread to humans.