Thai public health authorities admitted that 112 people from 14 provinces suspected of having contracted avian influenza are being monitored, according to the state-run Thai News Agency.

Prat Boonyawongvirot, the Permanent Secretary for Public Health of Thailand, was quoted as saying that the patients had been admitted for further laboratory tests for deadly bird flu virus.

However, no new cases have been reported and no new cases of avian influenza have been confirmed, the report said.

Prat said health officers were also closely monitoring about three dozen medical personnel and three other persons who looked after a 17-year-old youth who died of confirmed avian influenza in the northern province of Phichit last Monday.

Although no further cases of bird flu have been confirmed, public health authorities met Saturday in both Phichit and the neighboring Phitsanulok Province to assess the situation and work out stricter bird flu control measures. So far no H5N1 virus has been found.

Nonetheless, physicians, nurses and public health officials were told to be more alert for people suspected to have contracted the disease.

Source: Xinhua