Property damage and business interruption

25.7, birdflu

Asia and Europe: Thailand was struck by its first outbreak of the H5N1 avian influenza virus in eight months when laboratory test results confirmed that 31 chicken samples collected from Pichit province had the H5N1 virus. Tests also confirmed that a 17-year-old Thai died of the H5N1 virus, the country’s first death this year as it battles fresh outbreaks of the disease. The northern province is one of seven “red zone” provinces where surveillance was stepped up this month. All chickens in the affected area had been culled and there were no reports of humans infected by the virus, which has killed at least 132 people since late 2003, 14 of them in Thailand. In the Netherlands the authorities culled 25,000 chickens at a farm infected with a low pathogenic H7 bird flu strain and sealed off another 130 farms to prevent a major outbreak in one of the world’s top poultry exporter. The virus was reported yesterday in the central region of Gelderse Vallei. The Netherlands is Europe’s second biggest poultry producer after France. Dutch scientists and vets are making more tests and investigations to establish the exact strain of virus. Authorities said strict measures were needed because the detected H7 strain might mutate into a more aggressive form. H7 bird flu in its highly pathogenic form can kill large numbers of birds and can occasionally infect people, although it is rarely fatal in humans. The main Dutch poultry farmers’ union said they were confident that authorities would not allow the virus to spread and did not expect a negative impact on exports.