Livestock officials claim they are winning the war against bird flu. No new case of the virus has been reported for eight months.

The Livestock Development Department said yesterday its bird-flu surveillance programme was a success.

The country had been free of the deadly virus for 240 days, according to the department's Disease Control and Veterinary Services director.

Nirundorn Angtragoolsuk said the last case of killer

H5N1 was found on November 9 last year. There had been no reports of the virus in poultry since.

"This is because of our intense surveillance," he claimed.

But, DLD success claims came as rumours spread that tens of thousands of partridges had died mysteriously in Phichit.

Phichit provincial livestock office chief Pracha Asawametha denied the rumour.

He said about 1,000 chickens died last month. Laboratory tests confirmed they died from an infection that was not bird flu.

DLD director-general Yukol Limlaemthong reported 396 instances of dead poultry so far this year, claiming about 10,000 birds.

He said 330 of those cases had tested negative for H5N1. Results were outstanding in the other 66 cases. Yukol demanded greater vigilance in all provinces, but particularly in those previously hard hit by the deadly virus.

Teams were disinfecting farms on a regular basis. Statistics over the past two years showed that the virus turned up in July.

He said department and Public Health Ministry volunteers were working together throughout the country.

"If there is a positive case, we will inform the [public] immediately.

"Don't worry. There will be no cover-up," he said.