.01
At this normally bustling Bangkok poultry market, there is a disturbing quiet. Buyers here are keeping away in their droves, afraid of bird flu - a new and deadly variant of flu that has killed dozens already and threatens to become a world epidemic.
Since the second outbreak in July, any doubts about the potential devastation this disease could cause have gone out of the window.
00,41
Nitaya Chanruang Mahabhol, Srecherin
Thai. Ministry of Health
"The Ministry Of Agriculture has identified 37 provinces with the H5N1. And they say the area - this is Thailand the area that they have the infection H5N1 is focussing on the lower north of Thailand.
01.06 Since the second outbreak earlier this year, the spread of the disease has been alarming.
Literally hundreds of farms have been hit, with more than 1 million chickens and other poultry destroyed.
The threat has anything but subsided. Across the country, farmers are still frantically disinfecting, but with little or no knowledge about the virus, its difficult to make any concrete inroads.
01.46 As recently as May this year, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared Thailand free from bird flu, after an initial outbreak late last year. Along with his daughter, Shinawatra was happy to show how eating chicken was safe at a fast food restaurant. But along with the new and unexpected outbreak of bird flu, this time experts are somewhat more cautious.
02,11 O.T. Nitaya Chanruang Mahabhol
The Prime Minister only said the deadline was October, but he accepted the scientific conclusion that we have to brace ourselves for something longer than that
02.27 At the Srichacha zoo in Chon Buri province, near Pattaya, more than 400 rare Bengal tigers got sick after eating infected chicken. 200 of them had to be put down. Many other species have also been affected: fish, snakes and crocodiles have also shown signs of infection.
But concern is also focussing on the human victims. 12 Thais have already died from bird flu, from just 17 so far diagnosed.
02.53 For the World Health Organisation, the deaths are the first signs of a global flu epidemic they have long been expecting.
03,07 Somchai Peerapakorn, M.D. WHO
"I think that it hit everywhere because we are facing a new pathogen that the human body has never recognised. So you know that basic science gives us the knowledge that when a pathogen comes into the body, so when the body recognise the pathogen, it has the mechanism to block the pathogen, so it can minimise the damage, but we are dealing with something brand new.
03.55 At the Bamrasnaradura Institute in Bangkok, a specialist hospital for communicable illness, the isolation unit has been converted wholescale to dealing with the victims of bird flu. At the moment most beds still lie empty, but doctors here expect that to change.
04,18 O.T. Jurai Wongsawat, infection lady doctor
I think we are not ready to cope with the epidemic of the avian flu, or any pandemic. Now we are in the process of preparing for these. In the hosital we have isolation, we have protection, but some people in the rural areas dont have that thats why we now try to give education, using television, especially the government produced media
04.56 (INSERT: Health Ministry broadcast)
This Government health warning is run daily across all Thai TV networks, explaining to people what steps to take in the event of infection. Maintaining good hygiene and taking the relevant precautions are the key messages.
05.27 The WHO is bracing itself for a worldwide pandemic. Many indications of such an event are already distressingly evident.
05,35 O.T. Somchai Peerapakorn, M.D. WHO (in English)
Our tools to cope with this kind of situation is to try, as far as possible to develop a vaccine that can prevent the infection, or develop drugs. The WHO has expressed this as an emergency, and urgent need. So if H5N1 turns out to be the strain that causes a pandemic tomorrow, then you need quite a period of time before you can get enough vaccine to give to the world.
Reporter: Does that mean it could be too late?
Yes, I think so, because if you are a vaccine manufacturer, you need to invest. And who knows, if H5N12 isnt causing any pandemic, the investor would lose
06,43 Suphan Buri province in the north of the country is one of the worst hit regions. Here a duck farm is examined by Health Department officials. 10 % of the badelynge are rounded up and samples taken. Just one of these ducks needs to test positive for the entire flock to be destroyed.
07,19 O.T. Weera Romphopak, veterinarian
"Were concerned about the free range nature of these ducks they can just wander anywhere, taking the virus with them. Theyre not fenced in like on a chicken farm, so the spread of the disease could be amazingly quick.
07.37 The Government has accredited over 1 million volunteers to help deal with the epidemic. Each one will visit ten families, offering information and basic tests.
07.55 This group is visiting a cock breeder. Clearly surprised by the visit, urgent precautions and information are hastily passed across.
08.17 The head of the group tells her any suspicious behaviour by any of the cocks must be reported.
08,24 But for some Farmers, the groups arrival comes too late. This chicken farm has already twice been hit by bird flu, on both occasions having its entire chicken stock destroyed. The impact on poor farmers is devastating.
08,37 O.T. Sawery Homsuwan, chicken farmer
"you came and destroyed all my 4000 chickens. My whole existence is destroyed."
08,52 O.T. Somchai
"I think that most experts right now believe it can come up any time now. And H5N1 is one potential candidate, because we know this is a virulent virus strain, it is abundant, it is still prevalent in the environment in at least some countries in Asia, and it has the ability to affect humans.
09.28 For now, all the world can do is watch and wait. For Thailands populations, both chicken and human, the long term prognosis does not look good. But worryingly, as with SARS, it seems the spread of the virus to Europe and beyond isnt far away either.
At this normally bustling Bangkok poultry market, there is a disturbing quiet. Buyers here are keeping away in their droves, afraid of bird flu - a new and deadly variant of flu that has killed dozens already and threatens to become a world epidemic.
Since the second outbreak in July, any doubts about the potential devastation this disease could cause have gone out of the window.
00,41
Nitaya Chanruang Mahabhol, Srecherin
Thai. Ministry of Health
"The Ministry Of Agriculture has identified 37 provinces with the H5N1. And they say the area - this is Thailand the area that they have the infection H5N1 is focussing on the lower north of Thailand.
01.06 Since the second outbreak earlier this year, the spread of the disease has been alarming.
Literally hundreds of farms have been hit, with more than 1 million chickens and other poultry destroyed.
The threat has anything but subsided. Across the country, farmers are still frantically disinfecting, but with little or no knowledge about the virus, its difficult to make any concrete inroads.
01.46 As recently as May this year, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra declared Thailand free from bird flu, after an initial outbreak late last year. Along with his daughter, Shinawatra was happy to show how eating chicken was safe at a fast food restaurant. But along with the new and unexpected outbreak of bird flu, this time experts are somewhat more cautious.
02,11 O.T. Nitaya Chanruang Mahabhol
The Prime Minister only said the deadline was October, but he accepted the scientific conclusion that we have to brace ourselves for something longer than that
02.27 At the Srichacha zoo in Chon Buri province, near Pattaya, more than 400 rare Bengal tigers got sick after eating infected chicken. 200 of them had to be put down. Many other species have also been affected: fish, snakes and crocodiles have also shown signs of infection.
But concern is also focussing on the human victims. 12 Thais have already died from bird flu, from just 17 so far diagnosed.
02.53 For the World Health Organisation, the deaths are the first signs of a global flu epidemic they have long been expecting.
03,07 Somchai Peerapakorn, M.D. WHO
"I think that it hit everywhere because we are facing a new pathogen that the human body has never recognised. So you know that basic science gives us the knowledge that when a pathogen comes into the body, so when the body recognise the pathogen, it has the mechanism to block the pathogen, so it can minimise the damage, but we are dealing with something brand new.
03.55 At the Bamrasnaradura Institute in Bangkok, a specialist hospital for communicable illness, the isolation unit has been converted wholescale to dealing with the victims of bird flu. At the moment most beds still lie empty, but doctors here expect that to change.
04,18 O.T. Jurai Wongsawat, infection lady doctor
I think we are not ready to cope with the epidemic of the avian flu, or any pandemic. Now we are in the process of preparing for these. In the hosital we have isolation, we have protection, but some people in the rural areas dont have that thats why we now try to give education, using television, especially the government produced media
04.56 (INSERT: Health Ministry broadcast)
This Government health warning is run daily across all Thai TV networks, explaining to people what steps to take in the event of infection. Maintaining good hygiene and taking the relevant precautions are the key messages.
05.27 The WHO is bracing itself for a worldwide pandemic. Many indications of such an event are already distressingly evident.
05,35 O.T. Somchai Peerapakorn, M.D. WHO (in English)
Our tools to cope with this kind of situation is to try, as far as possible to develop a vaccine that can prevent the infection, or develop drugs. The WHO has expressed this as an emergency, and urgent need. So if H5N1 turns out to be the strain that causes a pandemic tomorrow, then you need quite a period of time before you can get enough vaccine to give to the world.
Reporter: Does that mean it could be too late?
Yes, I think so, because if you are a vaccine manufacturer, you need to invest. And who knows, if H5N12 isnt causing any pandemic, the investor would lose
06,43 Suphan Buri province in the north of the country is one of the worst hit regions. Here a duck farm is examined by Health Department officials. 10 % of the badelynge are rounded up and samples taken. Just one of these ducks needs to test positive for the entire flock to be destroyed.
07,19 O.T. Weera Romphopak, veterinarian
"Were concerned about the free range nature of these ducks they can just wander anywhere, taking the virus with them. Theyre not fenced in like on a chicken farm, so the spread of the disease could be amazingly quick.
07.37 The Government has accredited over 1 million volunteers to help deal with the epidemic. Each one will visit ten families, offering information and basic tests.
07.55 This group is visiting a cock breeder. Clearly surprised by the visit, urgent precautions and information are hastily passed across.
08.17 The head of the group tells her any suspicious behaviour by any of the cocks must be reported.
08,24 But for some Farmers, the groups arrival comes too late. This chicken farm has already twice been hit by bird flu, on both occasions having its entire chicken stock destroyed. The impact on poor farmers is devastating.
08,37 O.T. Sawery Homsuwan, chicken farmer
"you came and destroyed all my 4000 chickens. My whole existence is destroyed."
08,52 O.T. Somchai
"I think that most experts right now believe it can come up any time now. And H5N1 is one potential candidate, because we know this is a virulent virus strain, it is abundant, it is still prevalent in the environment in at least some countries in Asia, and it has the ability to affect humans.
09.28 For now, all the world can do is watch and wait. For Thailands populations, both chicken and human, the long term prognosis does not look good. But worryingly, as with SARS, it seems the spread of the virus to Europe and beyond isnt far away either.