Thailand's provincial public health officials have been alerted to keep a close watch on the possibility of the mutation of viruses in pigs following the deaths of two people from H3N2 human influenza.

Thawat Sunthrajarn, director-general of Disease Control Department, said on Friday that pigs have been proven to be capable of contracting bird flu virus known as H5N1 and H3N2 human flu virus without showing any symptoms.

"This provides an ideal place for the two strains of virus to mix and mutate," Thawat was quoted by the Bangkok Post's website as saying.

The director-general noted that the most scary thing is that the mutation of the two strains of virus occurs in human bodies or other mammals. He said that in the past whenever there was a bird flu outbreak, health officials would take blood samples from mammals to test for bird flu virus.

One man recently died of H3N2 virus in Thai northeastern Nong Khai province and a five-year old girl also died from the virus in central Prachuab Khiri Khan province. Meanwhile, Nong Khai and nearby Phitsanulok have been confirmed as the country's first two bird flu outbreaking provinces this year.

Source: Xinhua