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Thailand livestock chief cast out for flu cover up
The chief livestock officer of the Phichit province, where a
16-year-old boy died recently from bird flu, has been accused of failing to
report the bird flu problem to the agricultural ministry, and has been
transferred from his position.
Agriculture Minister Khunying Sudarat Keyuraphan ordered the transfer on
Wednesday, after he visited the province after a teenager was confirmed to have
died from the avian disease.
The chief livestock officer,
Pracha Assavametha, was accused of failing to prevent the spread of bird
flu
in the
province and failing to report the situation to the
minister.
However, Pracha Assavametha said he actually had reported
the situation of mysterious deaths of birds and chickens to the ministry and the
minister.
The boy who died from bird flu reportedly caught the virus
from one of his fighting cocks.
Thai authorities Tuesday confirmed a
new outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus in Phichit, but the boy was
not living on the farm where the disease was found.
Thawat
Suntrajarn, chief of the Phichit province disease control department, said the
victim suffered from a deadly combination of dengue fever and bird flu, which he
said was common in people who die from the H5N1 strain of the
virus.
Editor WorldPoultry
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