Via the Bangkok Post: Bird flu mysterious chicken deaths. Excerpt:
As the weather gets cooler, health authorities have warned that bird flu could re-emerge following the mysterious deaths of flocks of backyard chickens in two districts in Phichit. Public Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla yesterday warned of the possible re-emergence of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu after about 70 backyard chickens died in Ta Pan Hin and Po Pratabchang districts on Sept 16.
Epidemiologists have inspected the areas in question to find out the real cause of fowl deaths and are also closely monitoring the health of the chicken owners and some 40 neighbourhood residents. They will continue to do so for the next 21 days.
Health volunteers have put 25 lower North and Central provinces under special surveillance for signs of bird flu outbreaks.
''We cannot be complacent during this period as the cool season also offers a chance for flu to spread,'' he said.
Since the virus was first identified in 1997, the H5N1 strain of avian flu is known to have infected 328 people worldwide, killing 200, with 17 fatalities recorded in Thailand, according to the World Health Organisation. No bird flu outbreaks have been reported in the country so far this year.
So the Phichit outbreak may or may not have been B2B avian flu.
