Health authorities have warned people to take precautions while visiting livestock farms and not to drink raw milk to prevent them from contracting H5N1 avian influenza, now being found in mammals.
People who visit livestock farms must protect themselves from infection because there have been cases in many countries worldwide of bird flu in mammals such as dairy cows, pigs and even tigers, said Dr Jurai Wongsawat, spokeswoman for the Department of Disease Control.
"This happens because the virus has adapted and can cause the illness in mammals," she said.
She also warned people not to drink raw milk but to choose pasteurised products. "In the United States, there have been cases of dairy farmers infected with bird flu. So, people should not drink raw milk," Dr Jurai said.
She also said that health officials were on standby to tackle the disease along the border with Cambodia because bird flu in the neighbouring country was severe, with a fatality rate as high as 50%.
The most recent human fatality in Cambodia, in September, was a 15-year-old girl who had handled sick birds in her village.