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CNN Live At Daybreak
14 Deaths Linked to Latest Outbreak of Bird Flu
Aired February 04, 2004 - 05:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Fourteen deaths have now been linked to the latest outbreak of the bird flu in Asia. But in Thailand, the deputy prime minister says he is confident the virus will be eradicated by the end of the week.
For more now we turn to Tom Mintier live in Bangkok -- is that possible, by the end of the week?
TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's a pretty optimistic assessment, if you will. The FAO, the Food and Agriculture arm of the United Nations says that 50 million chickens have been culled so far. Only in two countries has it jumped to humans -- Vietnam and Thailand, with Vietnam reporting 11 fatalities and four in Thailand.
But there is a great deal of concern about China. They have not reported any human cases at all and there is opinion in some quarters that the virus is spreading through the chicken flocks there unabated and has for some time. So there is concern about China as well as the rest of Asia.
As I said, 50 million chickens have been culled so far and that number is sure (AUDIO GAP). The list of suspected cases still less than two dozen in Thailand, but a great deal of concern about the mutation of the virus, if, indeed, it jumps from just transmission in chickens to humans, from humans to humans, then it's an even larger problem. But the officials at WHO are saying that this is a long way from over.
Now, the Thai government has been promoting chicken consumption, saying that it's OK to eat chicken if it's cooked over 70 degrees centigrade, which most fried chicken is. They're also looking at (AUDIO GAP) market in Japan. The Thai prime minister later this week made a direct appeal to the Japanese public (AUDIO GAP) to reopen that market.
Also, the European Union is accepting cooked chicken, but they would like to see other items able to export from Thailand. There are about 1,000 containers of chicken that are being returned, both Japan and the European Union, that will arrive in Thai ports within the next week or so.
There's a great deal of concern about the markets opening up for Thai chicken once again. There are no early estimates of this being wrapped up.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, a lot of people are worried that the bird flu could spread to other countries, as well. Any evidence of that?
MINTIER: Well, there are only two cases and they're both in Germany. One was proven negative yesterday of a tourist from Thailand. There's another test currently being conducted in Dresden of a Vietnamese person who came to Germany and fell ill and is being tested. The results of those tests are not back yet. So the only real spread on the human side has been tested twice in Germany. The first one came back negative. Awaiting results on the second.
COSTELLO: All right, Tom Mintier live from Bangkok this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired February 4, 2004 - 05:37 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Fourteen deaths have now been linked to the latest outbreak of the bird flu in Asia. But in Thailand, the deputy prime minister says he is confident the virus will be eradicated by the end of the week.
For more now we turn to Tom Mintier live in Bangkok -- is that possible, by the end of the week?
TOM MINTIER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's a pretty optimistic assessment, if you will. The FAO, the Food and Agriculture arm of the United Nations says that 50 million chickens have been culled so far. Only in two countries has it jumped to humans -- Vietnam and Thailand, with Vietnam reporting 11 fatalities and four in Thailand.
But there is a great deal of concern about China. They have not reported any human cases at all and there is opinion in some quarters that the virus is spreading through the chicken flocks there unabated and has for some time. So there is concern about China as well as the rest of Asia.
As I said, 50 million chickens have been culled so far and that number is sure (AUDIO GAP). The list of suspected cases still less than two dozen in Thailand, but a great deal of concern about the mutation of the virus, if, indeed, it jumps from just transmission in chickens to humans, from humans to humans, then it's an even larger problem. But the officials at WHO are saying that this is a long way from over.
Now, the Thai government has been promoting chicken consumption, saying that it's OK to eat chicken if it's cooked over 70 degrees centigrade, which most fried chicken is. They're also looking at (AUDIO GAP) market in Japan. The Thai prime minister later this week made a direct appeal to the Japanese public (AUDIO GAP) to reopen that market.
Also, the European Union is accepting cooked chicken, but they would like to see other items able to export from Thailand. There are about 1,000 containers of chicken that are being returned, both Japan and the European Union, that will arrive in Thai ports within the next week or so.
There's a great deal of concern about the markets opening up for Thai chicken once again. There are no early estimates of this being wrapped up.
COSTELLO: Well, you know, a lot of people are worried that the bird flu could spread to other countries, as well. Any evidence of that?
MINTIER: Well, there are only two cases and they're both in Germany. One was proven negative yesterday of a tourist from Thailand. There's another test currently being conducted in Dresden of a Vietnamese person who came to Germany and fell ill and is being tested. The results of those tests are not back yet. So the only real spread on the human side has been tested twice in Germany. The first one came back negative. Awaiting results on the second.
COSTELLO: All right, Tom Mintier live from Bangkok this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
