BANGKOK (XFN-ASIA) - Thai livestock officials said they have detected the deadly H5N1 virus among chickens in the country's central Angthong province, confirming the country's third outbreak of bird flu this year.
'The results of laboratory tests today confirmed that it's the H5N1 virus, found in 10 chickens raised by small farmers, some for cock fighting,' a livestock department official said.
'Those chickens were slaughtered on January 24,' she added.
Thailand reported its first outbreak of the year on January 15, after finding the virus in ducks in the central province of Phitsanulok.
The second outbreak was found a week ago in northeastern Nong Khai province.
Thailand has been among the countries hardest hit by the deadly H5N1 strain of the virus, recording 25 human cases, 17 of them fatal, since the outbreak began here in 2004.
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© 2007 AFX News
