A 13-year-old boy has been confirmed as Thailand's sixth human case of bird flu and the government was culling any birds testing positive in random checks nationwide, officials said today.
The deadly virus that has killed at least 19 people in Asia, including five Thais. The boy had been in hospital since January 29th and was in critical condition.
The virulent H5N1 bird flu virus, suspected to have been spread by migrating birds, has broken out in eight Asian countries, devastating poultry flocks.
Thai officials said three migratory birds tested in the central region, an area used by birds from Bangladesh, tested positive for the H5N1 virus.
"We have to conduct random checks on these birds nationwide and will kill those testing positive," Environment Minister Prapat Panyachatraksa told reporters.
Of the five Thai deaths, four were boys between the ages of six and seven. The other was a 58-year-old woman.