Twenty million Thais risk infection

However, about 40 per cent of the victims will not exhibit influenza-like symptoms after being infected, the ministry's advisory committee on public health and medicine, chaired by virologist Dr Prasert Thongcharoen, said.

To date, the Department of Disease Control's Bureau of Epidemiology has reported 3 million people across the country have been infected since the outbreak hit the country in May.

The Public Health Ministry on Monday reported 16,876 laboratory-confirmed cases of type-A (H1N1) flu, with 130 fatalities, said Prasert.

He said the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimated 2 million Americans will have contracted the new flu. And in the United Kingdom, health authorities estimate - in a worst case scenario - the new flu virus will kill 65,000 people there in total over the coming months.

Prasert was worried about mutation between the seasonal flu strain and the new flu but, so far, laboratory tests from the Department of Medical Science confirm no mutation or drug resistant strain of the new flu virus.

The ministry's advisory committee on public health and medicine has set up a subcommittee to monitor the possibility of any virus mutation. It will also investigate and confirm deaths among type-A (H1N1) flu patients to find out the exact total and cause of fatalities.

He said the subcommittee is now considering whether to suggest people receive a jab for seasonal flu to prevent infection.

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO) will this week sign a 10-year agreement with King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi to expand the GPO's capacity to produce live attenuated vaccine against the new flu virus at the university's plant.

GPO is investing Bt200 million to produce the vaccine. Vittit said it will ask the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board and Cabinet to approve the budget for manufacturing at the new plant. Moreover, GPO is waiting on the World Health Organisation (WHO) to approve Bt 150 million for the new vaccine plant.

He said this plant is one of three around the world, including United States and Russia, to produce live attenuated flu vaccine.

Vitthit said the GPO will run testing of the first lot of vaccine among 12 volunteers on September 4.