Turkey confirms return of bird flu in chickens

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

ANKARA, Feb 9 (Reuters) Turkey's agriculture ministry confirmed an outbreak of bird flu in the southeast of the country, just over a year after the deadly H5N1 strain of the disease killed four children in the region.

The ministry said in a statement bird flu had been found yesterday in a village in the Batman province. The ministry said it believed wild birds had spread the disease, which had so far killed 170 chickens in Bogazkoy.

''Strict quarantine measures have been taken in an area of 10 km (miles) around the village where the disease was identified,'' the ministry said, adding that culling of birds has started.

Veterinary experts were making tests to determine whether the virus was the deadly H5N1 strain.

CNN Turk quoted the local governor as saying there was no evidence of the disease spreading to the human population.

Turkey culled more than 1.3 million birds last year in an effort to contain the deadly H5N1 virus.

Scientists fear the H5N1 virus could mutate to a form easily transmitted from human to human. Because people would lack immunity, it could then sweep the world, killing millions.

Victims usually contract bird flu through direct exposure to diseased or dead poultry.

REUTERS MS PM0851

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