Bird flu and politics game

Political crisis 'may have spread bird flu'

The top United Nations official coordinating the global fight against bird flu has said the Thailand political crisis may have caused a resurgence of the disease which killed last least two people in July and August.

David Nabarro, the senior UN coordinator for avian influenza, told the Financial Times newspaper the Vietnamese response to the disease remains admirable. It remained unclear exactly why the disease resurfaced in Laos and Thailand, along the Mekong River.

But the newspaper's website quoted Dr Nabarro as saying the political crisis in Thailand might have weakened the country’s response.

"You don’t maintain control over this disease unless there is regular top-level direction from a committed senior political figure that wants to be sure that the necessary activities are being undertaken," Dr Nabarro was quoted as saying.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra dissolved parliament in February for an April 2 election that spilled into chaos and cancellation. Another election has not been scheduled, but may occur in November.