[Umit]

The Dogubayazit township of Agri was the first place to have a victim to avian influenza.

http://www.maxiturkey.com/blogs/2006...i-dogubeyazit/

[Shannon]

I was watching this on the news lastnight Not good!!!

[Eline]

I saw it at the news 2 this week....its really bad. I remeber it was here in Holland to....Many ppl lost there chickenfarms and it will take a long time to restore it all.

[tracie]

thought the place the children were from was van

[**claire**]

3 more cases have been confirmed in Ankara

From the BBC


'Three bird flu cases' in Ankara


Two children and an adult have tested positive for the deadly H5N1 bird flu strain in Turkey's capital Ankara, the city's governor Kemal Onal has said.
The results have not been confirmed by World Health Organization labs, but are still likely to trigger panic, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Turkey.
If confirmed they will be Turkey's first cases outside the eastern region of Van, about 1,000km (620 miles) away.
A poultry cull is under way in Van to try to contain the virus outbreak.
London tests
As well as the three new cases in Ankara, another two people in the eastern region of Van have also tested positive for H5N1, Mr Onal said.
Our correspondent says the three people who tested positive in Ankara come from a town about one hour's drive from the city.


It is not clear how they could have contracted the disease, although the were reports of ducks in the town having the virus, our correspondent adds.
The results will now be checked by scientists at the WHO laboratory in London.
In the eastern town of Dogubeyazit, in Van, three children from the same family died last week, at least two of them from the virulent H5N1 bird flu strain, which has killed more than 70 people in South-East Asia.
Tests are still under way on the third child to see if she also died from H5N1.
Accusations of slowness
All three children - a 14-year-old boy and his 11 and 15-year-old sisters - were living in close contact with poultry and there is still no evidence that the disease has begun to spread between humans.
Nonetheless a local hospital has been besieged by panicked residents seeking treatment for symptoms.



Twenty people remain in hospital in the city of Van under treatment for suspected bird flu.
A team of WHO doctors is in Turkey to help investigate the deaths and look for any signs of transmission between humans.
The WHO has attempted to play down fears of the disease, as Turkish officials sought to defend themselves from accusations they were slow to act.
The cull of all winged animals was only half complete almost a week after the first fatality, our correspondent said on Saturday.
Officials say they have had difficulty persuading people in the impoverished rural region to deliver all of their poultry up for slaughter, whether the birds appear healthy or not. Meanwhile, Russia's Interfax news agency reported on Sunday that the country's chief epidemiologist has told his countrymen not to travel to Turkey - a popular vacation destination for Russians - because of the bird flu outbreak. "I earnestly advise Russian citizens to refrain from travelling to Turkey, especially to the eastern province of Agri and the city of Dogubeyazit... where the situation is particularly alarming," Interfax quoted Gennady Onishchenko as saying.

[ally]

The children who died from the Bird Flu were from Dogabeyazit but died at the hospital in Van. İt was reported on the news here that in one night 800 came to the Casualty dept of Dogabeyazit hospital worried that they had the disease.
The father of these children told news reporters that 4 of his chickens died and the rest looked ill. So they slaughtered the sick ones and ate them. He also said that the children were kicking the chicken heads around and handling them.
The other children who have contacted the disease have all been playing with chickens at their homes. Authorities seem to think that this disease is mainly contracted through handling the birds.
Mass culling of chickens, turkeys, ducks etc has started in eastern Turkey but some locals have been hiding theirs or blatantly refusing to give them over. İ think the government is recompensating them for their birds; around 10ytl each.
The disease was found on 2 wild ducks in Ankara.
We have been told here that when chicken is cooked at a temperature over 70 degrees then any germs will die and it will be safe to eat. Also eggs need to be cooked for at least 5 minutes.
My mum said that she was listening to a phone-in radio show and they were asking how people felt about holidaying in Turkey now. Someone said he wouldnt take his kids were there was bird flu. So fingers crossed, this wont affect this summer season. Hopefully the travel authorities will make people aware that it isnt (as yet) on the west coast and tourists will not stay away.

[**claire**]

Here is the latest info from the FCO

And a factsheet regarding Avian Flu

On TV this morning, they we advising that currently there is no threat to humans unless you handle the birds. BUT ...... you are advised to check with your GP (doctor) before you travel to Turkey

[tracie]

Originally Posted by **claire**

Here is the latest info from the FCO

And a factsheet regarding Avian Flu

On TV this morning, they we advising that currently there is no threat to humans unless you handle the birds. BUT ...... you are advised to check with your GP (doctor) before you travel to Turkey

just watching sky news another 5 cases reported & now in the black sea region this is getting bad
we r speaking 2 r family in turkey 2day we r going 2 tell them about slaughtering our chickens they have also other family members who have them they although they live in a village near kus we dont want 2 take any risks
my sister in law has already spoken 2 the family 2 tell them not 2 eat chicken the children in the family dont get given it anymore

[**claire**]

Now in Istanbul ...

Bakar noted 15 people from one family that came into contact with the infected birds have been isolated and are being medical supervised. This family ate infected chickens before recently coming to Istanbul.
Five of eight chickens owned by Ramazan and Muhittin Mentes, living in a shanty house in Ikitelli, Istanbul, reportedly died one by one after the New Year. Members of the Mentes family who ate the remaining three sick birds last Tuesday were taken by ambulance to hospital after neighbors notified officials.

http://www.zaman.com/?bl=national&al...60109&hn=28434

[Hephaestion]

Oh no! What a disaster!
I also heard of another case in beautiful Bursa.

Seems like the people in the East have not been fully plugged in with regards to this threat.