A farmer who raised fighting cocks dies in August. His death is the third in 2006. In Indonesia the outbreak is not stopping. The death toll rises to 51.

Bangkok (AsiaNews) – A 59-year-old Thai man who contracted the H5N1 bird flu virus has died, health ministry officials said today. His is the third case this year and the 17th since the beginning of the outbreak

The farmer from the north-eastern Thai province of Nong Bua Lamphu bred and raised fighting cocks. He fell ill on July 14 and died on August 10. Lab results confirmed the H5N1virus was the cause of death.

"He didn't give his full history to the doctor," said Thawat Suntrajarn, director-general of the Department of Communicable Disease Control. Instead, the man claimed that "he raised chickens, that they were sick, and that they had died." But in fact, he "was scared that the agriculture officials would kill his birds." His wife said he also raised 40 fighting cocks that got sick and died.

At the same time, the H5N1 continues to kill in Indonesia, the most affected country in the world. It was confirmed yesterday that a nine-year-old boy from Pondok Pinang, south of Jakarta, died last Friday from the bird flu virus. When he arrived in hospital it was already too late. It is still unclear how he contracted the disease.

According to the World Health Organisation at least 144 people have died from the infection around the world since it first appeared three years ago in Asia.

• thailand
• indonesia
• bird
• flu
• infection
• h5n1
• deaths