Thailand declares bird flu now a national threat

"Bird flu is a national threat. If we fail to contain the outbreak of bird flu, it could spell disaster for our country," Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasathidya told a meeting of some 260 local officials.

"Tourists would not come here and the outbreak of bird flu could wreck our poultry industry," he said, urging local officials to cooperate with the central government to fight the H5N1 virus.

Thailand has suffered 24 human cases of bird flu, including 16 fatalities, since the disease was first detected in the country in early 2004.