Young Man in Thailand Dies of Bird Flu

Young Man in Thailand Dies of Bird Flu



Man in Thailand Dies of Bird Flu Virus, the First Human Casualty Since Disease Returned to Asia— A young man in Thailand has died of the H5N1 bird flu virus, the first human casualty since the disease returned to Asia in July, an official said Thursday.


Tests have confirmed that the death Wednesday of an 18-year-old man in the Prachinburi province was caused by the deadly virus, said Dr. Charal Trinvuthipong, director-general of the Health Ministry´s Department of Communicable Disease Control.




He refused to give more details.




The death raised to 28 the number of people killed in Asia this year by avian influenza. Eight people died in Thailand and 16 in Vietnam in the first outbreak in January, devastating poultry stocks and leading authorities to cull tens of millions of birds.




The disease re-emerged in July in Thailand, China, Malaysia and Vietnam, where it claimed three more lives.