VZCZCXRO3969
PP RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHNH RUEHPB
DE RUEHBK #4612/01 2091255
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 281255Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0562
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BANGKOK 004612 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR G/AIAG/JLANGE 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/STC/MGOLDBERG AND PBATES 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/PCI ANNE COVINGTON 
DEPARTMENT FOR OES/IHA/DSINGER AND NCOMELLA 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USAID/ANE/CLEMENTS AND GH/CARROLL 
DEPARTMENT PASS CDC ATLANTA 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR OSEC AND APHIS 
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOR FAS/DLP/HWETZEL AND 
FAS/ICD/LAIDIG 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE FOR OSD/ISA/AP FOR LEW STERN 
PARIS FOR FAS/AG MINISTER COUNSELOR/OIE 
ROME FOR FAO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO EAGR KFLU PGOV SOCI TH
SUBJECT: THAILAND AVIAN INFLUENZA UPDATE 
 
REF: BANGKOK 4530 
 
BANGKOK 00004612  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  Human Health: Since the death on July 24 of a 17-year-old 
boy from H5N1 avian influenza in Phichit Province in 
north-central Thailand, local public health workers have 
stepped up their active surveillance activities in the area. 
While local news reports have accentuated the increase in the 
number of persons being tested for avian influenza in the 
past few days, they have not mentioned that the increase in 
testing is the result of public health workers doing what 
they are supposed to do - seek out possible suspicious human 
cases in areas where there have been unusual numbers of 
poultry deaths. 
 
¶2.  Bangkok-based CDC personnel maintain daily contact with 
officials at the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH).  MOPH has 
told them that in recent days, more than 50 persons who 
displayed flu-like symptoms have tested negative for the H5N1 
virus, but positive for the common seasonal H1 influenza 
virus.  This is not unexpected, they said, since Thailand is 
currently at the height of its rainy season, when the numbers 
of common influenza cases peak.  Laboratory testing is still 
pending on at least another 40 human samples, but an increase 
in the numbers of people being tested is not cause for alarm 
in itself - it is evidence that the avian influenza 
surveillance system is working. 
 
¶3.  In other human health news, the MOPH told CDC personnel 
today that testing at its central laboratory in Bangkok of 
two samples taken from the 17-year-old boy who died confirmed 
that he was infected with the H5N1 virus.  The earlier, 
presumptive testing was performed at the Phichit provincial 
 
BANGKOK 00004612  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
hospital. 
 
¶4.  Animal Health: Surveillance and testing of poultry 
continues, as well.  Embassy's Regional Environmental and 
Health Officer (REO) spoke today with Dr. Nalinee at the 
Avian Flu Center at the Department of Livestock Development 
(DLD) in Bangkok and also with the head of the Lower Northern 
Regional Veterinary Research and Development Center in 
Phitsanoluk Province where a single fighting cock tested 
positive for H5N1 virus on July 24.  The head of the 
laboratory in Phitsanoluk Province said they have performed 
more than 100 tests in recent days on more than 500 birds, 
but that all of the tests have been negative with the 
exception of the single sample that tested positive on July 
¶24. 
 
¶5.  In reply to a question by REO, Dr. Nalinee stated that 
DLD routinely pools specimens, but combines material from no 
more than five birds at a time for testing - well within the 
5-10 sample batch recommended by the UN's Food and 
Agriculture Organization (FAO).  She also said that the DLD 
is sampling ducks, which are known to be able to carry H5N1 
asymptomatically, as well as chickens and fighting cocks, but 
they have all tested negative so far. 
 
¶6.  Dr. Nalinee did not say whether she believed all the 
recent chicken die-offs in the central and north-central 
provinces were attributable to a resurgence of the H5N1 virus 
in Thailand.  The virus is present, however, and only further 
surveillance and continued testing will demonstrate the 
extent of it. 
ARVIZU