Nong Khai public-health chief Dr Itthipol Sungkhaeng yesterday revealed the patient - transferred earlier this month to a Thai hospital in accordance with a Thai-Lao memorandum of understanding on bird-flu cooperation - was diagnosed with bird flu and that her condition was critical.

With a patient's chance of surviving bird flu rated at 10-20 per cent, doctors vowed to treat her the best they could, he said.

Itthipol has also instructed Nong Khai border hospitals that any Lao patients admitted with fever, cough, shortness of breath and a history of contact with birds should be isolated and treated, to prevent the disease from spreading, and to report them to the provincial Public Health Office.

Meanwhile, Disease Control Department director-general Dr Thawat Suntrajarn said the Lao girl came from the Sri Rattana community, a Vientiane suburb that was within a 1-kilometre radius of a previous bird-flu outbreak.

The girl fell ill on February 10 and was admitted to a Vientiane hospital before her mother decided to send her to a private Thai hospital on February 17.

On February 20, Lao authorities confirmed the girl lived in the outbreak area and that her condition had deteriorated. She was then transferred to Nong Khai Hospital.

Thawat said the Thai Public Health Ministry would cover the girl's medical expenses at Nong Khai Hospital of about Bt80,000 a day. Total costs have reached Bt800,000 so far. Even though she is not a Thai, the case will be useful for clinical and disease-control study of the fatal virus, he said.

Thawat said the Thai team sent to assist Lao authorities found 11 people had a history of contact with birds and that three - including the girl - were suspected of having the bird-flu virus.

In Thailand, 49 patients have been found to have a history of contact with fowls. Only one had flulike symptoms and was treated with the anti-avian-flu drug Oseltamivir, Thawat said.

Thailand is still within the 60-day danger period of the latest bird-flu watch, which end next month.

The Nation

NONG KHAI