Four more suspected bird flu patients were detected Monday in Thailand, adding the total numberof suspected cases in the kingdom to 68 after the reemergence of the virus in July.

A five-year-old girl and a 10-month-old infant from Thailand's central Prachinburi province were hospitalized on Monday with symptoms of avian flu, Dr Surachet Sathidniramai, a provincial health official was quoted by The Nation newspaper as saying on Tuesday.

The girl had fallen ill with a cough and fever, said her mother,adding that the family's home in Ban Sang district was a chicken-raising area.

With symptoms of respiratory infection, the infant was sent to Kabin Buri district hospital on Aug. 30. Despite medical treatmentfor the past two week, the baby's condition has not improved.

The infant's family raised 20 chickens and all of them died before he fell ill, said the public health permanent secretary Charal Trinvudhipong. The infant is now being closely watched by medical staff.

Meanwhile, Kamnuan Ungchusak, director of the Bureau of epidemiology said two unidentified woman, aged 43 and 52, from Phitsanulok's Noen Maprang district were added to the watch list.

After the epidemic erupted again in Thailand this July, 68 patients have been reported with bird flu-like symptoms, among whom 59 have been taken off the watchlist.

In Prachinburi, doctors said the four other children on the watchlist are getting better. They are awaiting results from the Medical Science department.

The four came from the same district where a 18-year-old boy died of bird flu disease last week.

The boy's death has raised the number of people killed by the epidemic in Thailand this year to nine and in Asia to 28.

During the first outbreak of the fatal disease in January, eight people died in Thailand while about 60 million fowl were culled, causing billions of baht in damage to its economy.

In a bid to minimize adverse effect, Thai government has been considering the use of vaccine to curb the spread of the virus formonths.

However, the proposed use of vaccine by fighting cock-raisers aroused strong opposition from a large number of local chicken farmers, who on Monday gathered in front of the Agriculture Ministry demanding the government scarp the idea of vaccines. Theyclaimed this would affect their livelihood as other countries would not import Thai chicken.

Deputy Prime Minister Chaturon Chaisaeng, who chaired Monday's meeting of the national committee on bird flu eradication, said human safety was a priority in determining whether or not the country should use bird flu vaccines.

He meanwhile added the poultry export trade was also a major factor need to be taken into account. The final decision on the issue will be made on Wednesday.

Source: Xinhua