Thailand confirmed on Monday that a Thai boy died of bird flu in hospital in Bangkok late Sunday and expands bird flu crisis zone to more provinces in the country.  

Public Health Ministry Spokeswoman Nitaya Janleungmahaphon announced that the boy died last night at midnight, becoming the first victim from the killing disease.

Officials were still investigating the exact cause of the boy's death, but doctors had confirmed he had bird flu.

The Boy's health deteriorated very rapidly after being infected. "This is typical of bird flu. It is very hard to get infected by this disease, but once you have it you tend to go down very fast," Nitaya added.

Meanwhile, the Thai Agricultural ministry announced that Thailand's bird flu crisis zone has been expanded to 10 provinces from two.

Up to now, a total of seven people, six of them in Vietnam, have died of bird flu, which has infected millions of chickens in some Asian countries.

(Xinhua News Agency January 26, 2004)