HEALTH
POST REPORTERS
UTHAI THANI : Another outbreak of bird flu was detected in Nong Chang district yesterday, prompting a mass culling of infected chickens amid resentment among poultry breeders.
The discovery came after five chickens at a farm in Thung Saliam district of Sukhothai became sick and died on Oct 27. Lab tests showed one chicken carcass was infected with the H5N1 virus.
Provincial livestock officials disinfected bird flu-hit Ban Hua Khao, where the chickens died of unknown causes, culled scores more chickens and collected the carcasses for lab tests.
The culling infuriated three poultry owners because the chickens were breeding stock and expensive.
Besides, there had been no official proof of avian flu infection in the fowls, they said.
Despite all efforts to contain bird flu, Sukhothai was hit again as the deadly virus was discovered on a fighting cock farm in Sawankhalok yesterday.
Samples of blood and droppings from fighting cocks bred by farmer Pinyo Ketnil were collected for a second lab test following the first last week.
The test showed that the chickens were infected with bird flu, but the epidemiologists had yet to identify the strain.
To date, no fighting cocks have died.
Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Somsak Prissananantakul reprimanded the Livestock Development Department for the two-week delay in a lab test report on the bird flu outbreak in Sukhothai, which he said could worsen the ongoing situation.
A war room has been set up at both provincial health offices to monitor the bird flu situation, according to the Public Health Ministry.
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