- BANGKOK (Reuters) - Bird
flu has killed a 5-year-old Thai boy, the country's 14th victim of the
deadly virus, top health officials said on Friday.
-
- "The boy was infected with the H5N1 virus,"
Deputy Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakula told Reuters.
-
- He was unable to supply further details immediately of
how the boy might have caught the virus, which usually strikes those in
close contact with infected fowl.
-
- The death of the boy, who was from the central province
of Nakhon Nayok, 110 km (70 miles) from Bangkok, took Thailand's bird flu
death toll to 14 since the virus swept through large parts of Asia in late
2003.
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- The H5N1 strain has now killed 70 people in Asia.
-
- The boy was the second Thai killed by the H5N1 virus
since bird flu erupted anew in the country in October, when a 48-year man
died of it.
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- Since the beginning of October, 10 of Thailand's 76 provinces,
mainly in central areas, have had outbreaks.
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