May 5, 2008
Bangkok - The Department of Livestock Development (DLD) launched its third campaign to persuade each province to eradicate the bird flu virus.
The campaign will last for two months, starting from May 1.
Thailand's last outbreak of avian influenza was on January 25 among chickens on a farm in the northern province of Phichit.
The campaign is part of the strategies to deal with bird flu and flu in Thailand.
Since its first outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in January 2004, Thailand has confirmed 25 human cases, 17 of which were fatal. The last human fatality was in August 2006.
Thailand has been free from bird flu for three months so far referring to standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).
The H5N1 strain has killed more than 240 people worldwide since late 2003.
Experts expressed concerns that the virus could mutate into a form easily transmissible between people.
