New outbreak of bird flu in Thailand

BANGKOK, JULY 6 (AP)Thailand suspects a new outbreak of bird flu at a farm in a central province where thousands of chickens have died.

"There are suspected bird flu cases in Ayutthaya province and the result of lab tests will be confirmed in the next couple of days," Deputy Agriculture Minister Newin Chidchob told reporters.

"It is possible that the outbreak will return," Newin added. The government had declared on May 14 that it was all but certain that the country was free of bird flu, after the last area to suffer an outbreak was declared safe following the end of a 21-day monitoring period.

However, an infection in the northern province of Chiang Mai, believed to have started on May 22, raised alarm bells.