Third suspected human case in Thailand
August 7th, 2006
A chicken farm worker from the Uthai Thani province in Thailand has become possibly the third confirmed bird flu case in the past two weeks. The 19 year old man had buried dead birds, possibly infected with the H5N1 virus, without using and proper protection equipment. He has been put under hospital surveillance now. The man fell ill last Thursday and was admitted to the provincial hospital on Saturday. Laboratory tests are awaited to verify whether or not the suspicions are proven. Thai authorities have given strict instructions to about 800,000 public health volunteers that villagers should be instructed to exercise extreme caution when handling dead birds, as it is the most common form of infection to humans. As of today, a national cleanliness campaign will also be started, trying to encourage people to wash their hands frequently.