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BANGKOK,
April 25 (Bernama) -- Caretaker Public Health Minister Pinij
Jarusombat warned that Thailand, despite its success in
containing bird flu outbreaks, must continue to be vigilant, TNA
reported Tuesday.
Anticipating possible human flu and avian flu pandemic around
the globe, he called on related government agencies to prepare
their contingency plans.
The minister, who chaired a meeting to follow up progress in
containing bird flu virus and the authorities' readiness to deal
with future outbreaks, was quoted by the news agency as saying
that international health experts had warned of possible
pandemic and the probability of bird flu virus being transmitted
from human to human.
Since last year's outbreaks, he said, bird flu viruses have been
found in many different strains and spread in 17 countries in
Asia, Europe and Africa. |
The deadly H5N1 strain has so far killed 101 people.
The caretaker public health minister said Thailand had prepared
two levels of contingency plans -- one for domestic outbreak of
the flu and the other to provide assistance to other countries
in the region.
He said Thailand had reserved 1.5 million capsules of anti-viral
drug Oseltamivir and 300,000 doses of human flu vaccine.
Oseltamivir is a generic version of the drug Tamiflu which
Thailand began manufacturing this year.
"The ministry has ordered health officials nationwide to be on
alert and organize drills from time to time in dealing with
possible bird flu outbreaks particularly in areas already
infected by the flu," he said.-- BERNAMA |
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