18-month-old boy in Thailand infected with bird flu

A baby less than 2 years old near Bangkok is confirmed to have the H5N1 virus. Babies can become infected when playing around chickens in their yard.

Vaccination for chicks.

The boy fell ill immediately after 3 fighting chickens and a regular chicken of the family died of the flu. Currently, the boy's grandmother, 65 years old, also has symptoms and is awaiting test results. Thus, the boy was the first patient in the Thai capital after nearly a month of cleanup, said the Director General of the Thai Medical Authority. H5N1 virus has killed 13 Thai people since late 2003 until now.

Meanwhile, China is rapidly controlling the disease in Liaoning province after three consecutive incidents in just 24 hours. The Chinese government has identified that the epidemic progress in the province has not been strictly controlled and warned of a situation from here.

Yesterday, China announced the fourth suspected case - a chicken farmer named Liu in Heishan commune, the first translation point in Liaoning. Patients with severe pneumonia after exposure to sick chickens. Initial test results are negative, but people need to wait another 2 weeks for antibody testing. Currently, the patient is stable and his body temperature returns to normal.

Ms. Liu was among 121 people in Heishan commune who were in direct contact with sick poultry and were taken to hospital immediately after showing high fever with flu-like symptoms. The possibility of infection in the remaining people has been eliminated.

In the Gulf, test results confirmed that the flamingos were found on the Kuwaiti coast infected with the H5N1 strain of bird flu, while the imported falcon carried the "healthy" H5N2 virus. Both were destroyed. Experts are concerned about the risk of bird flu outbreak in the Middle East because this area is located on an important migratory route of birds.

My Linh (according to Reuters, AP)