Deadly bird flu confirmed in Turkey

Jane23 · Supporter Joined: 23 Jul 2005 Posts: 465

Three Turkish teenagers have been killed by bird flu and two of them were confirmed to have had the deadly H5N1 strain. All victims were younger that the age of 16.

The three deaths represent the first human deaths from bird flu outside South-East Asia. All of them lived in Turkey's eastern Van province, close to the Iranian border.

The children’s’ family kept poultry at their home and the children played with the heads of chickens who had died of bird flu. Children showed symptoms of high fever, coughing and bleeding in the throat.
Beside these three cases, the hospital in Van is treating more than 20 other people from bird flue.

Around 3,500 birds have been culled so far in the Van region in order to contain the virus. Experts from the WHO and the EU left for Turkey to help them deal with the outbreak.

The Turkish Health Minister says that they don’t expect a pandemic but that there is a real risk for people who are in close contact with fowl.

Deadly bird flu confirmed in Turkey

LIFEFORM SOCIAL COMMUNITY NETWORK