TURKEY: BIRD FLU OUTBREAK IN BATMAN PROVINCE

UNCLAS ADANA 000018 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KFLU PGOV TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: BIRD FLU OUTBREAK IN BATMAN PROVINCE ¶1. (U) Our contact in the Batman Governor's Press Office confirmed to the Consulate on February 9, that there has been an outbreak of bird flu in Bogazkoy village of Gercus township in Batman province. ¶2. (U) According to the contact, 170 chickens were found dead in Bogazkoy on February 6, and local authorities have imposed quarantine measures on an area of 3 kilometers in diameter, including Ruzgarli and Aydinli villages. Teams from the Provincial Health and Agricultural Departments are working in the region, while authorities have banned all movement and selling of live avian products in Batman until further notice. Samples of dead chickens have been sent to the Regional Veterinary Research Center in Elazig to determine whether the virus was the H5N1 strain [Note: The strain has been confirmed to be H5N1. End note]. Three children with flu-like symptoms, who were taken to Dicle University Hospital in Diyarbakir for observation, have been sent back to Bogazkoy village, and their blood samples were sent to Ankara for testing. ¶3. (U) Post will continue to watch the situation closely and report any significant developments. GREEN