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Bird flu scare mounts in Turkey
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-01-08 09:15
Nearly 30 people are currently being treated in hospital for bird flu
symptoms after three Turkish teenagers from the same family in the Dogubayazit
town of eastern province of Agri died of bird flu in the past six days.
The three siblings are the first human deaths from the fatal virus outside
Asia, where more than 70 people have lost their lives since the outbreak of bird
flu in 2003.
It is reported that the family took their poultry indoors during freezing
winter and ate some of the sick chicken.
President of Clinical Microbiology Foundation Professor Haluk Eraksoy was
quoted by the Turkish Zaman daily as saying that more deaths may occur in Turkey
caused by the killer virus.
"The fact of the matter is that the disease is fatal, and the death rate is
very high. Patients diagnosed with the disease could not be saved despite their
treatment. There is no guarantee that the other patients may be saved either,"
Eraksoy said.
Local media said bird flu has been spreading toward western Turkey despite
the intensive measures taken by the agriculture and health ministries.
It reported that poultry sale has been banned in the Turkish capital of
Ankara since two dead wild ducks, found near a dam lake in Nallihan town of the
city, were tested positive for bird flu.
Meanwhile, Turkish Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister Mehdi Eker said
bird flu has been reported in 10 separate regions in Turkey, among which five
have been confirmed as bird flu.
A total of 14,000 winged animals in 10 provinces have been culled since the
first bird flu case was reported in the country, according to Eker.
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