The United Nations warned on Wednesday that the bird-flu crisis in Turkey could become an epidemic and that neighbouring countries are at risk. In its most pessimistic assessment so far, the UN’s food agency said the disease could spread unless more preventive measures are taken.
”The highly pathogenic avian-flu influenza virus H5N1 could become endemic in Turkey,” Juan Lubroth, health officer for the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation, warned.
He added: ”Far more human and animal exposure to the virus will occur if strict containment does not isolate all known and unknown locations where the virus is currently present.”
Neighbouring countries such as Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq and Iran should be on high alert, he added.
There are, however, other, less gloomy assessments of the threat. Turkey’s government insisted that — with more than 300 000 birds culled — the crisis is under control.
”We are not experiencing an epidemic,” said Recep Akdag, Turkey’s Health Minister. The World Health Organisation said there is no reason to panic and no conclusions about the disease have been reached.
The World Bank is to press rich nations for millions of dollars in an attempt to eradicate bird flu from poultry before it triggers a worldwide pandemic. Officials are to seek donations at an international pledging conference on avian and human influenza in Beijing next week.
The money has been earmarked to help poor nations carry out mass cullings and set up compensation packages as an incentive for farmers to report outbreaks. Millions of dollars will be channelled into vaccination programmes across China and other countries across Asia where the virus is rife
So far, 15 confirmed cases of the lethal H5N1 strain of the disease have been detected in Turkey — most in the east of the country, where the virus appeared two weeks ago. The majority of victims have been children, who appear to have got the disease after playing with sick chickens.
”I came home from school and my chicken was ill. It had gone blind. I felt sorry for it and gave it a hug,” Summeye Mamuk (8), said on Wednesday. Summeye is one of four children confirmed as having H5N1 on the paediatric ward of the university hospital in Van, the eastern town badly affected by the outbreak. Two other children probably have the disease, and 22 others are suspected of having it, the unit’s director, Ahmet Faik Oner, said.
He added: ”They all played with poultry or were in close contact with it. It’s a big problem because people in this area have a close relationship with chickens. We expect the virus to go on for another 15 to 30 days. Then it will finish.”
Asked whether he thinks Turkey is doing enough to deal with the problem, he said: ”They can solve it, yes.” All visitors to the highly contagious ward have to wear white suits and face masks.
Three children from the same family — Mehmet Ali Kocyigit (14), Fatma (15) and Hulya (11) — died on the ward last week, the first confirmed victims of H5N1 outside East Asia. Health officials have launched a massive cull of domestic poultry across eastern Anatolia. But their efforts have been criticised as inadequate. The cull also ignores the problem of migratory birds. — Guardian Unlimited Â