Thailand: "At least 5 years to get rid of the disease"

Hanoi (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Vietnam confirmed yesterday that a 14-month-old baby who died earlier this month had tested positive for bird flu, bringing the 2004 region's death toll from the disease to 20. The second wave of bird flu reappeared within a few months after Vietnam declared itself bird-flu free at the end of March. Vietnam has been continuing with its measures to contain the avian influenza. The national Veterinary Department sent  teams to 24 provinces throughout the country to inspect standards being used to fight the disease. 

Meanwhile Thailand is facing an emergency situation after the government announced its first probable case of human-to-human transmission, 2 days ago. On Wednesday, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called an emergency meeting between health and agriculture officials to decide what to do next in their battle to eradicate bird flu. Any immediate hopes of a quick end to the crisis were swiftly dashed. "We are talking at least three to five years," Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisang said. "There are no fences along borders of countries in Asia to block migrating birds," he said after a meeting of health and agriculture officials, referring to birds blamed for the sweep of the H5N1 bird flu virus across much of Asia early this year.  "As long as the disease persists in China, Vietnam and Malaysia, Thailand won't be able to get rid of bird flu and vice versa," Mr Chaturon told.

Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan said she had ordered public health volunteers in every village to help reinforce surveillance by agriculture officials.  "For safety's sake, people need to take extra precautions to protect themselves," she said.  "Even if just one chicken dies, villagers must protect themselves with gloves or plastic bags to destroy the carcass. If the death is suspicious, they must inform local livestock officials immediately."

The experts fear that the longer the H5N1 virus survives, the greater the chance of it meeting a human influenza virus in an animal capable of hosting both, such as pig. The H5N1 virus, capable of swift mutations, could then combine with the human flu virus into a form that could sweep through a human population with no resistance.

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• Thailand
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