Thailand put on full alert to block killer swine flu

Thailand is launching strict swine flu prevention measures including installing thermal scanners at the country's main airports amid fears of a global outbreak of the deadly virus.

Arriving passengers are checked by a thermal scanner for signs of swine flu at Suvarnabhumiairport yesterday.Theairport has three scanners in use to check travellers for signs of high temperature. TAWATCHAI KEMGUMNERD

Three thermal scanners were in place at Suvarnabhumi yesterday. The devices were also set up at Phuket and Chiang Mai airports. The scanners detect passengers' body temperatures.

The deadly H1N1 virus has been detected in Mexico, the United States, Canada and Spain, and possibly in Australia and New Zealand.

As many as 103 people have died of the flu in Mexico. The number of suspected swine flu cases was 1,614 in Mexico, at least 20 cases in the United States, six in Canada and one in Spain.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said the ministry had collaborated with Airports of Thailand to closely monitor passengers with flu-like symptoms.

Anyone found with a fever would be questioned by health officials about the history of their illness, Mr Witthaya said.

"The suspected cases will be put under close surveillance for three to five days during their stay in Thailand," the minister said.

Suvarnabhumi airport director Serirat Prasutanond said the main targets for the thermal scanners were passengers on eight routes - from France, Tokyo, Dubai, Frankfurt, London, Chicago, Los Angeles and Texas - which had connecting flights from Mexico. There is no direct flight between Thailand and Mexico. About 3,000 passengers arrive in Thailand each day on these flights.

Roongroje Thanawongnuwech, a swine flu expert at the veterinary science faculty of Chulalongkorn University, said his biggest concern about the spread of the flu into Thailand was air travellers from abroad.

"The most important measure is to strictly monitor those coming from countries affected by the disease by plane," he said on radio.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Theera Wongsamut has instructed the Livestock Development Department to set up a "war room" to monitor the outbreak and come up with necessary measures to protect people and pig farms from the deadly virus.Livestock officials would team up with health authorities on the matter, he said.

The minister suggested pig farmers separate pigs from other farm animals, especially fowl, to prevent possible virus mutation.

Experts say pigs are genetically close to humans and can be infected by both human and avian flu viruses. Pigs can thus serve as the "mixing vessel" for the mingling of genetic material.

Farm workers or people with flu-like symptoms should avoid having contact with the animals. Pig farmers must alert officials if they found pigs developed a fever, a running nose and loss of appetite, the minister said.

The department has already banned the import of live pigs, pork meat and products related to pig meat from the US and Mexico.

Deputy chief of the Livestock Development Department Trissadee Chaosuancharoen said swine flu was a normal pig disease which was also found in Thailand. But the virus type detected here was different from the highly pathogenic one flaring up in Mexico.

Most of the swine flu-infected pigs in Thailand suffered from the mild type of swine flu viruses which could not transmit from animal to human, Dr Trissadee said.

Disease Control Department spokesman Kamnuan Ungchusak played down public fears over the outbreak, confirming Thailand was still free of the Mexican flu.

The National Influenza Centre was closely monitoring the situation and possible virus mutation, he said.

"Strong and effective swine flu prevention and surveillance will safeguard the country from the disease," Dr Kamnuan said.

The fatality rate of swine flu patients is only 6%, compared with 60% for those infected with bird flu virus, he said.

Dr Kamnuan said the anti-viral medicine Oseltamivir, used to treat bird flu patients, was effective for people infected with the swine flu.

The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation said it had a stockpile of 170,000 tablets of Oseltamivir which is enough to treat 17,000 patients.

In the case of an outbreak, the GPO could produce a million pills of Oseltamivir within four days.

Relate Search: Swine flu, Outbreak, Mexico