A 47-year old woman in Lop Buri Province was confirmed as another case of bird flu disease in Thailand, bringing the total human bird flu cases in the country to 10, the Public Health Department announced Friday.

Dr. Charal Trinvuthipong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control was quoted by the Thai News Agency as saying that a working group of experts from the Public Health Ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) added the latest human case on the list following laboratory tests which confirmed that she had infected with the H5N1 virus, the bird flu virus.

The woman used to breed fighting cocks and chickens in her home.

She fell ill on Feb. 3 after she burned or buried ill chickens without wearing any protective gears.

She was admitted to a hospital in central Lop Buri province on Feb. 3.

Then her condition had improved, and was discharged from the hospital on Feb. 25, said Dr. Charal.

Thailand so far has found 10 people infected with bird flu since Dec. 1, 2003, Dr. Charal said.

Among those, seven have died and three have recovered.

(Xinhua News Agency February 27, 2004)