Two Thai children suspected of contracting bird flu were cleared of having the H5N1 variant that can infect humans, Health Ministry spokeswoman Nitaya Chanruang Mahabhol said on Monday.

However, two patients, both men from the central provinces of Ayutthaya and Lop Buri, remained on the watchlist of the 19 people originally suspected of contracting bird flu, she said.

The patients had all been in contact with chickens and were rushed to hospital after the government ordered officials to be on high alert as recurrences of the virus, which hit much of Asia and killed 16 Vietnamese and eight Thais early this year, continued to spread.

Thailand, the world’s fourth-biggest chicken exporter in 2003, has culled around 200,000 fowl in recent weeks as the virus spread to three more areas and has now recurred in 18 of Thailand’s 76 provinces in recent weeks, officials said.

China also reported a new case recently as did Indonesia. Both governments say their new outbreaks are under control.