08 April 2013 (19:39 UTC-07 Tango 06 April 2013)/27 Jumada l-Ula 1434/19 Farvardin 1392/28 Yi-Mao (2nd month) 4711

“H7N9 used to be found only in poultry in Europe, the United States and Japan. Never before have there been reports of people contracting the disease…..To be ready for H7N9, every hospital in Phuket will strictly monitor patients who have serious respiratory symptoms similar to those brought on by pneumonia and influenza. Surveillance Rapid Response Teams have been ordered to be ready around the clock.”-Bancha Kakong, Phuket Provincial Health Office

The Thai Agriculture Ministry is not worried about the Chinese ban on poultry imports: “H7N9 spread in China won’t affect Thai poultry exports.”

Thai officials say several foreign inspectors have given the OK for Thai chickens.  Qatar is the latest country to resume importing poultry from the southeast Asian country.

At latest count there are 21 cases of human H7N9 infections in China, six have died.