WHO tries to allay fears over bird flu

THE World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday tried to allay fears of a massive bird flu outbreak in Turkey, telling people not to panic but urging them to avoid contact with sick or dead poultry.

Preliminary tests in the last week indicate that 15 people in Turkey have been infected with the deadly H5N1 strain - the largest number of cases in a single week since late 2003, when the virus began sweeping Asia. Three children have died, but only two of those cases were confirmed to have tested positive for bird flu.

WHO regional director Marc Danzon said yesterday: “The worst situation is a panic situation. There is no reason to panic.”

He said health officials were doing “everything that is known to maintain and manage this difficult situation”.

Meanwhile, in Rome, the UN agriculture agency warned that the Turkish outbreak could spread to neighbouring countries.

“The virus may be spreading despite the control measures already taken,” said Juan Lubroth, senior animal health officer at the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.

“Far more human and animal exposure to the virus will occur if strict containment does not isolate all known and unknown locations where the bird flu virus is currently present.”

Dr Danzon said there were no signs that the deadly strain was being transmitted person to person.

Health experts have warned of the possibility that H5N1 could mutate into a potent form easily passed between people, triggering a pandemic capable of killing millions.

The WHO said earlier yesterday that two more people sickened by bird flu in China have died, bringing the total number of humans killed by the disease in that country to five and pushing the death toll worldwide to 78.

Asked about whether countries should ban or restrict their citizens from travelling to Turkey, Dr Danzon called it a “non-story” and said there was no reason, in his view, to take such measures.

In Turkey, all of the cases appeared to have involved adults or children who had touched or played with infected birds.

“The people of the country need to perfectly understand that the danger is contact between sick or dead poultry and a human being, especially a child. This is the key point for the future,” Dr Danzon said.

The WHO so far has confirmed only four of Turkey’s 15 reported cases as H5N1, but said it is confident the remaining samples would be positive.