Turkey's AI Outbreak - More Questions

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E.O. 12958:N/A
TAGS: ETRD EAGR KPAO TBIO
SUBJECT: Turkey's AI Outbreak - More Questions

Sensitive but unclassified. Not for Internet Distribution.


1. Summary. Turkey is waiting for the results of tests,
which were sent to England to determine the type of Avian
Influenza (AI) that was detected in a turkey flock near
Baliksehir last week. There is still some uncertainty among
officials whether the virus is the H5N1 strain. The
outbreak occurred on a private farm, which raised birds on
an open field near a large wildlife preserve. The area is
also home to many of Turkey's largest commercial poultry
operations. End Summary.

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Outbreak Near Large Commercial Operations
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2. (SBU) The outbreak occurred in a village near Baliksehir
in the Marmara region. This is a rich agriculture area and
home to several of the largest commercial poultry operations
in Turkey. According to one large commercial poultry
operator, there are about 25 million commercial birds in
this region and poultry companies have been concerned about
such an outbreak for some time. Specifically, the area has
some major wildlife refuges, which, at times during the
year, are home to hundreds of species of birds, which
migrate from Russia to Africa every year and which could
potentially carry AI. On Monday, one private representative
reported that the outbreak occurred on a farm where the
flocks were kept outdoors and in possible contact with the
wild bird population. According to this same
representative, about 250 turkeys died the first day of the
outbreak with 500 dying the second day. Since that time,
all ducks, geese, turkeys and chickens have been culled in a
25 km radius around the village in the hope of containing
the outbreak.


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Fact or Fiction
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3. (SBU) This being Turkey, truth and rumor exist
simultaneously. Some villagers are contending that the
affected flocks were fed in rice fields, which had been
sprayed with chemicals. At the same time, commercial
poultry producers indicated on Monday that tests on all
parent stocks in the area and have thus far not revealed any
other contamination. Nonetheless, poultry facilities
continue to restrict access to their facilities and have
implemented specific biosafety protocols in order to prevent
any contamination.



4. (SBU) The strain of the virus is still unknown. Several
contacts indicated that Turkish officials have sent samples
from the affected flock to England for testing since Turkey
does not possess any reliable testing facilities for this
disease. They hope to have the results of the tests by
Tuesday at the latest to determine the strain of Avian
Influenza (AI) in the area. One EU official noted that no
other cases had been detected and that it was possible that
the outbreak was not H5N1.



5. (SBU) According to the Dutch Agriculture Attache, a
large number of officials from the Ministry of Agriculture
in Ankara have been sent to the area. Nonetheless, it
appears that much of the responsibility for preventing any
new outbreaks will fall on the private sector. One company
hired some Australians who were familiar with the outbreaks
in Asia to provide training. Most of the large companies
Banvit and Seker Pilic have been holding training sessions
for all of their contract farmers. During a recent visit to
the region, the larger private companies indicated to
AgCounselor that they were sharing information on detection
and safety procedures with smaller companies unable to
afford training.




6. (SBU) Press reports also noted that the Turkish
government promised to reimburse farmers for any flocks,
which need to be culled. This is in contrast to previous
statements in which GOT officials stated that the government
has not budgeted for this type of expense. In the event the
government decides not to reimburse farmers, there may be
reluctance on the part of private farmers to report small
outbreaks. The cost to the GOT could be substantial if any
large outbreak does occur.

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Comment: Private Sector Responsibility
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7. (SBU) Both private and government Turkish officials seem
to be taking this outbreak very seriously. It is a good
sign that the outbreak was announced quickly and that
officials took decisive steps immediately. However,
private poultry representatives are very concerned with the
government's readiness to address any large-scale outbreak.
Although three Turkish ministries are responsible for
combating this issue, communications among them seem to be
inadequate, particularly after meeting with several
ministries. The private sector seems to be bearing most of
the responsibility for preventing an outbreak in the
commercial sector. Still, it is unclear whether information
is being disseminated to small private farmers.

MCELDOWNEY