Bird flu - don't suck bird spit

[MaiLuk]

Bird flu claims cock breeder

10/09/2004 14:29 - (SA)

 

 

Bangkok - A breeder of fighting cocks has died of bird flu, bringing Thailand's total death toll from the chicken-spread virus to nine over the past two years, media reports said on Friday.

 

Thai Health Minister Sudarat Keyuraphan has confirmed that an unnamed 18-year-old chicken breeder in Prachin Buri province, 90km east of Bangkok, died on Wednesday after contracting the H5N1 virus strain from his birds.

 

"This is the first victim of the second outbreak of bird flu," Sudarat told reporters. At least eight Thais died in the first epidemic of avian influenza that broke out in the kingdom about a year ago.

 

Sudarat said the victim fell sick on August 31, but hadn't sought medical help until September 4, when it was too late.

 

 

Deputy Health Minister Anuthin Charnvirakul added that the dead breeder had treated his sick birds, bathing them and sucking their saliva out with his own mouth, a common practice among fighting cock raisers in Thailand.

 

So far all the bird flu victims in Thailand have been chicken breeders. Despite the rising death toll to the disease among breeders, Thailand has refused advice to administer vaccines to its chicken population, fearing such a measure would adversely affect its exports of chicken meat.

 

The government will host a regional meeting on avian influenza next November to reach a consensus on whether to use vaccinations on chickens or not.

 

The meeting will be held November 25-26 with both public and private sector participants from the ten-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), China, Japan and South Korea. - dpa

 

Edited by Andrea Botha

 

Article at news24.com

[Damen]

I've heard of guys dying from sucking cock but it's usually from aids.