Nine northern Thai provinces under special watch for bird flu

Deputy Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr. Paichai Varachit said the decision to impose the special monitoring of the disease in the nine northern provinces was made at a meeting of ministry officials here early Thursday.

All hospitals in the nine provinces have been instructed to provide immediate treatment to patients suspected to have contracted the avian influenza or live in areas where birds have died for unknown causes without waiting for laboratory tests, said Dr. Paichit.

As cold weather began in most parts of Thailand, health officials on October 28 detected the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in a dead fowl in Thung Salium district of Sukhothai province.

A number of birds were also found dead of unknown causes in Nong Chang district of Uthai Thani province recently.