ABSTRACT
In Thailand the outbreak of avian flu began in late 2003. It was alerted after a six-year-old boy was referred to Sirivaj Hospital from Kanchanaburi province with symptoms of high fever, cough and shortness of breath, followed by severe hypoxemic respiratory failure. He then developed multiple organ failure and expired on the tenth day of hospitalization. The diagnosis of avian influenza A (H5N1) was established by an isolation of the virus from his nasopharyngeal and tracheal secretions. The infection appeared to have been acquired directly from infected poultry. The case confirmed to the Thai government that the outbreak of the avian flu had begun. Consequently, prevention policies and early detection strategies have been strongly enforced.