Thai authorities confirmed a new human fatality from avian influenza Thursday, the first death in more than a year in the country from the disease.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told a press conference that laboratory tests results showed H5N1 virus caused the death of a 48-year-old man in western Kanchanaburi province Wednesday.

The latest case was the 13th fatality from bird flu in Thailand since the disease first appeared in 2003. The last previous human death was recorded in October 2004.

Thaksin urged the country not to panic, saying health officials had experience in dealing with the problem. He said authorities would order the culling of poultry in the area of the newest outbreak.

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The Ministry of Public Health in Thailand has today confirmed its first case of human infection with H5N1 avian influenza since 08 October of last year. The patient, a 48-year old man from Kanchanaburi Province, developed symptoms on 13 October, was hospitalized on 17 October, and died on 19 October.

Authorities have linked his infection to close contact with diseased poultry during slaughter. Poultry outbreaks in several Kanchanaburi villages were reported earlier this month.

Samples from the patient will be sent for further analysis at a WHO reference laboratory.

The man’s 7-year-old son developed respiratory symptoms on 16 October. He had assisted his father with defeathering of the diseased birds. Test results on the child, who is presently hospitalized, are confirmed to be positive against H5N1 cirus at 21st Oct .