Turkey: Bird Flu Contained

(AP)  The bird flu outbreak in western Turkey has been contained, the Turkish government said Thursday, urging the public to remain calm amid panic over news that Turkish birds were infected with the virulent H5N1 virus.

Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker said authorities were on alert for any outbreak in the rest of Turkey, which lies in the path of several migratory birds flying from eastern Russia to Africa.

"We are acting against even the smallest of suspicions," Eker said. "The situation is under control."

The European Union announced earlier Thursday that it found the H5N1 bird flu virus in Turkish poultry — the first confirmation of H5N1 so far west. The virus has killed 60 people in Asia since 2003.

Experts have been tracking the disease in birds because they worry the strain might mutate into a human virus and spark a pandemic. Public health authorities want the poultry outbreaks wiped out as rapidly as possible to prevent opportunities for mutations.

The village outside Balikesir in western Turkey where 1,800 turkeys died last week was under a 2-mile quarantine. The quarantine was to remain in place for three weeks.

Authorities culled 7,600 domestic birds and disinfected 5 hectares of land in the area to contain the highly contagious virus.

Government ministers and other officials raced to reassure the public. "Of course, we need to be careful; we need to do our homework well," said Health Minister Recep Akdag, soon after the announcement was made in Brussels.

"The outbreak in winged animals occurred in one area and has been contained," he said. "Our citizens should not panic."

Eker said eight people were given medication protectively but no one in Turkey has contracted the disease. The quarantine will be lifted at the end of 21 days if no new cases emerge, he said.

Turkey asked the Swiss pharmaceutical company Roche Holding AG for 1 million boxes of a standard flu medicine as a precaution against a possible pandemic, a health official said Thursday.

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