Public Health Ministry preparing to tackle swine flu spread in winter

BANGKOK, 28 October 2009 (NNT) – The Ministry of Public Health is integrating preventive measures against the type A (H1N1) flu, avian influenza and seasonal flu, which are likely to spread concurrently during winter.

Public Health Minister, Witthaya Kaewparadai called a meeting between provincial public health officials and hospital directors from the northern and central parts of the country to brainstorm prevention ideas against the three pandemics. The minister said surveys from the Bureau of Epidemiology showed the number of flu patients in Thailand had increased during the past two weeks and the Livestock Development Department had reported abnormal deaths of poultry in five provinces which were Lampang, Chiang Rai, Si Sa Ket, Phitsanulok and Tak.

Permanent Secretary for Public Health, Phaichit Warachit, said he had instructed all provincial public health offices to inspect dead poultry more thoroughly and assigned public health volunteers to educate the public about the three diseases. He also urged them to report any dead poultry in their villages everyday from November this year to February 2010.

The public health permanent secretary said Oseltamivir would be given to patients who have swine-flu like symptoms for more than two days.