Both the neighboring countries will reinforce cooperation between the health authorities of the two states to jointly combat the spread of bird flu after Thailand's Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Adisorn Piengkes met with Lao officials last week, the state run Thai News Agency said on Saturday.

Adisorn was quoted as saying that he attended a briefing on the deadly disease in Laos and conferred with the Lao Minister of Agriculture and Forestry. Both the countries agreed to disclose the real situation of the disease to each other on a regular basis in future.

Such disclosures regarding the disease would benefit both countries as officials concerned with the potential spread of bird flu would be more able to efficiently control the disease, he said.

Adisorn said he had also proposed a meeting of the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy grouping (ACMECS)to be held in Thailand to allow member countries to exchange ideas and ways to control the avian influenza.

ACMECS membership is comprised of Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand.

Thailand and Laos are fighting a new outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu virus which was confirmed in several provinces across the two countries.

The latest outbreak killed a 27-year-old man in Thai northern province of Uthai Thani early this Month, the country's 16th victim, following another fatality a week earlier in Phichit, prompting officials to conduct a large-scale culling of infected chickens.

Several hundred persons have also been placed under quarantine in the Thai government attempt to contain the outbreak.