Bird flu not yet affecting bookings to Thailand and Vietnam
PATA says travel bookings are not being affected by warnings to British travellers heading to Thailand and Vietnam to avoid contact with live poultry following the outbreak of bird flu. A six-year-old reportedly died from the disease in Thailand over the weekend – the first fatal case in that country – while there have been six bird flu-related deaths in Vietnam. Avian influenza has been reported in flocks of chickens since December, when the first case was discovered in South Korea. Now the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is warning travellers that they should avoid bird markets and farms in Thailand and Vietnam; all those humans who have so far contracted the disease are known to have been in close contact with birds. The FCO website, at www.fco.gov.uk/travel, warns: “Epidemics of avian influenza (bird flu) have been reported in poultry flocks in parts of Asia. Some human cases have been confirmed. Travellers are not likely to be affected, but should avoid bird markets, farms and places where they may come into contact with live poultry.” The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has welcomed a World Health Organization (WHO) assessment that bird flu poses no realistic health threat to travellers visiting Asian cities at this stage. There is no sign of the virus passing from human to human, the world health body said. According to the WHO, H5N1 avian influenza can only be caught by direct contact with contaminated live poultry. Travellers are not at risk of catching bird flu by eating cooked chicken or eggs. PATA president Peter de Jong said: “To date, there has been no discernible impact on travel bookings – or should there be. We are keen to ensure that the travelling public gets the facts on this issue.” The FCO advice for South Korea, and Japan, where there have also been cases of bird flu reported, had not been updated at the time of going to press. For further information check the World Health Organization website at http://www.who.int/csr/don/en/ and the Department of Health website at http://www.doh.gov.uk/traveladvice/
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