The Ministry of Public Health has announced that the number of those infected with avian flu virus stays at 20, as laboratory tests revealed that two people who died recently of lung infection had no bird flu virus.

Dr. Thawat Suntrajarn, Director-General of the Disease Control Department was quoted by the Thai News Agency as saying Friday that Thailand has no new case of human infection as of Nov. 3, 2005, although there are constantly 30-40 cases in the watch list.

Lab tests of lung tissue sample of a 53-year old man from Nan and a 31-year-old man from Nonthaburi province showed no trace of bird flu virus. The lung infection in the case from Nan province was caused by bacterial and not viral infection.

Although Sainoi District of Nonthaburi is not located within the so-called Red Zone of high alert for bird flu watch and the deceased man had no history of contact with poultry, the Department of Livestock Development, Ministry of Agriculture has set up vigilant system.

Asked to comment on the new Public Health Minister Pinij Jarusombat's policy statement that there must be no new death case from bird flu, Dr. Thawat said what the Minister meant is for all the provincial health office to do the best they can in preventing the spread. However, officials cannot be held accountable if they have done their best and people do not heed their advice.

Source: Xinhua