This is Gwen Outen with the VOA Special English AgricultureReport.
Thailand and its chicken industrycontinue to deal with the effects from the spread of bird influenza.Last week, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra replaced hisagriculture minister.
The dismissal followed an emergency meeting called by the primeminister at the end of September. Mister Thaksin threatened todismiss several ministers if the avian influenza problem is notcontrolled by the end of October.
The World Health Organization, however, noted that an outbreak inMexico in nineteen ninety-two took three years to controlcompletely. Thai officials admitted early this year that they hadnot done enough to control the outbreak in their country.
Cases of bird flu have been reported in almost half the provincesin Thailand. The most recent report to the World Organization forAnimal Health said forty-six more farms reported cases in the lastweek of September. At least twenty-five thousand birds weredestroyed. Not only chickens have been affected, but also ducks andother birds.
The World Health Organization said a nine-year-old girl died ofavian influenza on October third. Her death was the eleventh thisyear caused by the form of virus called h-five-n-one. Thai officialsrecently announced a case in which they said one person had probablyinfected another with avian flu. However, that possibility was notimmediately confirmed.
Avian influenza has meant heavy economic losses for Thaiagriculture. Last year, Thailand was the biggest exporter of chickenproducts in Asia. It was the fourth largest exporter in the world.But the United States Agriculture Department says it expects Thaichicken exports to fall by sixty percent this year. The departmentestimates Thailand will export about two hundred thousand metrictons.
On September fifteenth, the European Union extended a ban onchicken, eggs and live birds from Thailand and nine other Asiancountries. The ban will stay in effect at least until the end ofMarch.
The Thai government is trying to get farmers to raise chickens inbuildings, not in open areas where wild birds could infect them.Officials are also urging people to report any suspected cases ofbird flu, and to wear protection if they ever touch dead birds.People are being told to put dead birds in plastic bags and givethem to health or agricultural officials.
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by MarioRitter. This is Gwen Outen.