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Published on January 25, 2008

Avian flu killed 300 chickens in Chumsaeng on Monday, Disease Control Department chief Dr Thawat Suntharajan said yesterday.

Meanwhile, Nakhon Sawan yesterday announced a 5-kilometre outbreak zone around the farm to contain the virus.

Neighbouring Phichit and Kamphaeng Phet would set up checkpoints to ensure no poultry was transported from the area and also monitor their own districts for the virus.

The outbreak occurred at Sri Prai Farm in Tam Boon Pikoon, which supplies fowls to the Saha Farm company. There are four enclosed breeding buildings on the farm. The virus was found in the second building.

This is the second time the virus has struck this farm. The previous occasion saw 50,000 birds culled at the farm as it was located within a 5km radius from the outbreak spot.

Yesterday, the remaining 45,000 chickens at the farm were slaughtered and the farm was sprayed with disinfectant.

Thawat said his ministry had sent a surveillance and rapid response team from the 8th Office of Diseases Prevention and Control to the outbreak area to investigate 10 people who worked with the infected chickens at the farm.

The mobile unit collected samples of bird-flu strain from the area on Monday for laboratory tests to investigate the possibility of infection in humans. The results confirmed on Tuesday that there were no human infection cases within the outbreak area, he said.

The ministry also warned all medical service facilities to closely watch all pneumonia patients for 14 days and use a screening process for all suspected cases in 35 villages around Tam Bon Pikoon, he said.

Thawat also ordered all healthcare units and hospitals in Nakhon Sawan to watch for severe symptoms in people who had close contact with the infected chickens in the outbreak area, particularly those who had worked at Sri Prai Farm.

He urged the public to avoid buying poultry products with red spots on the crest and neck of any chicken and to instead buy products with food safety sticker labels from the Agriculture Ministry.

Chumsaeng district chief Phisanu Senawin said the district would hold a meeting of related officials to discuss ways of containing the virus.

Among measures considered are strict prohibition of poultry transport for at least 30 days, spraying disinfectant, and intense screening of areas within a 5km radius of the farm.

He said as only the farm's chickens were found with the virus, he suspected the virus carrier could be openbill storks that lived near the farm.

Livestock Department chief Sakchai Sriboonseu led a team of officials to investigate the outbreak at the closed chicken farm yesterday. He expressed concern the outbreak might cause Thailand's ongoing poultry-trade negotiations with Japan to be postponed.

Pongphon Sarnsamak

The Nation