The Thai government said Saturday afternoon that four more provinces in Thailand had been declared bird flu control zones.

Government spokesman Chakrapob Penkaur said that after a latest laboratory test, four more provinces had been declared as bird flu control zones where, if any infected poultry is detected, all poultry within a five-kilometer radius of areas will be killed and transporting chickens within a 50-kilometer radius be prohibited.

He said that with the declaration of the four more provinces as bird flu control zones, the number of provinces declared bird flu control zones had risen to 33.

He said that 18 million poultry in 8,151 farms in the nation had been destroyed. But he said 22 provinces had not found any infection case so far.

He said that the government would hold a provincial governors meeting next Monday and carry out the second round of national-wide sample detection for the poultry.

He predicted that the outbreak of bird flu could be controlled in the country in February.

Meanwhile, according to the Health Ministry, Thailand Saturday found another two suspected bird flu infected patients, making the number of suspected bird flu patients to rise to 14 while the confirmed cases kept three as of Friday.

(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2004)