TURKEY: UPDATE ON AVIAN INFLUENZA

UNCLAS ANKARA 000147 SIPDIS STATE ALSO FOR STUDZINSKI AND LANGE USAID FOR TROSTLE, BLANCHET AND CARROLL HHS FOR WSTEIGER/PBUDASHEWITZ FAS FOR OCRA; OSTA FAS PASS FSIS AND APHIS VIENNA FOR APHIS BRUSSELS FOR APHIS/FERNANDEZ GENEVA FOR HEALTH ATTACHE ROME FOR US MISSION TO FAO SIPDIS E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: KFLU ETRD EAGR KPAO TBIO AMED CASC EAID SENV TU SUBJECT: TURKEY: UPDATE ON AVIAN INFLUENZA REF: ANKARA 121 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. The Turkish Ministry of Agriculture appears to be following appropriate procedures in response to the AI outbreak in Zonguldak province. ¶2. On January 22, the Ministry of Agriculture's General Directorate of Protection and Control submitted a report to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) regarding the outbreak. The report states that there were 13 bird deaths in a backyard poultry flock of 300. It is believed that the origin of the H5N1 virus infection came through contact with wild birds. The measures that are being taken by the Ministry of Agriculture are: stamping out (culling),quarantine, movement control inside the country, zoning, disinfection of infected premises, and dipping and spraying. ¶3. According to news reports, Turkish authorities culled nearly 600 poultry in villages near the Black Sea coast on January 23. The Ministry told the press that "a total of 570 chickens, 14 ducks and two geese had been culled and buried." ¶4. At the moment, the Ministry has not requested any assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). According to the FAO Ankara office, their local representative is impressed with Turkey's response to this outbreak and is planning to monitor wild birds in the region. ¶5. As of January 23, Azerbaijan and Iraq have banned poultry and poultry product imports from Turkey as a result of the AI outbreak. According to our trade contacts, the ban is currently not affecting re-exports of U.S. poultry and products out of the Mersin Free Trade Zone. Wilson