Thailand is stepping up measures in preventing the new strain of bird flu called H7N9 virus, which has been found in China, while Thais have been urged not to panic over the situation.
Public Health Minister Dr Pradith Sinthawanarong said all local health agencies are joining forces to keep a close watch on the situation after the new H7N9 virus was found in China.
The ministry has issued warnings to hospitals nationwide to monitor patients with severe pneumonia and influenza. Mobile laboratories with bird-flu testing units have been prepared in case of a severe outbreak.
Members of the public have been urged to avoid contacts with poultry and to notify Health authorities in case of any unusual deaths of poultry.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has suggested that the closed door raising system for poultry could help reduce and control an H7N9 spread. Ms Yingluck also urged Thais not to panic over the situation as any bird flu epidemic depends on the surrounding environment and sanitation.
The PM added that Thailand would apply the experiences from the previous spreads of avian influenza to tackle a possible H7N9 epidemic in the country.
Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives Yukol Limlamthong has asked the Livestock Development Department to keep all bird flu-prone areas nationwide under surveillance.
He pointed out that an infection of the new strain of avian influenza could barely occur in Thailand since the kingdom did not import poultry from China, where many fatal H7N9 cases had taken place. He cited the current hot weather in Thailand as another factor that made it hard for the virus to develop.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has cooperated with all related agencies in randomly collecting samples of poultry feces in at-risk areas, especially border zones and places where bird flu was found in the past. Animal quarantine stations along the borders have also been instructed to step up measures to make sure that no poultry enters the country.
Meanwhile, Director-General of the Department of Disease Control Phornthep Siriwanarangsan has expressed no concerns over the H7N9 situation while asking all hospitals to send in samples collected from influenza and pneumonia patients for lab tests.
He said the World Health Organization (WHO) is now conducting an investigation to find the origin of the H7N9 spread in China and is warning countries worldwide to stay vigilant.
Symptoms of bird flu include cough, fever, sore throat, and muscle aches, while some people also experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. And in a few cases, a mild eye infection (conjunctivitis) is the only indication of the disease.
