BANGKOK, Feb. 25 (Xinhuanet) -- Thai health authorities has sought to allay public fear that humans could catch bird flu from flies saying flies could not carry genetic attribute of the virus, the official Thai News Agency (TNA) reported Friday.

    Dr. Paijit Warachit, Director-General of the Department of Medical Sciences said it was scientifically impossible that bird flu virus detected around a poultry farm in Japan could be transmitted to humans.

    It is reported that bird flu virus had been discovered in 200 flies in the vicinity of a poultry farm in Kyoto and researchers had discovered the H5N1 strain of virus in RNA of the flies.

    Amid growing fears of a devastating avian flu pandemic, Dr. Vichai Tienthavorn, Permanent Secretary for Public Health, was quoted as saying that the chances of flies infecting humans were "minimal in the extreme".

    He noted the virus could not survive long in the atmosphere, but thrive best in poultry feces.

    However, Vichai suggest greater concern should be paid to environmental hygiene among the public in order to minimize the chance of flies breeding.

    Paijit said his department will cooperate with the Livestock Development Department to begin studying the flies collected from the areas, where bird-flu outbreak have been reported.

    Test results would be expected within the next two or three weeks, he added. Enditem