TURKEY: UPDATE ON AVIAN INFLUENZA

UNCLAS ANKARA 000190 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 147 AND PREVIOUS ¶1. There have been no new outbreaks since the small one reported in Zonguldak province on January 19th; however, the incubation period is not over. ¶2. According to a representative of the European UnionQs (EU) Technical Assistance team in Turkey, the Turkish Ministry of AgricultureQs General Directorate of Protection and Control (MARA/GDPC) requested that the EU team visit the affected village to investigate the AI outbreak. The EU team determined that the source of the outbreak was a farmer who went hunting and brought the carcasses of seven wild birds to his home. He cleaned the birds and threw the remains (feathers, etc.) in his backyard. The chickens in his backyard ate the scraps and got infected with the virus. ¶3. The EU team took samples from wild birds in the area; the Turkish government stamped out all poultry in a total of five villages and disinfected the area; and, according to the EU team, the GDPCQs level of preparedness is good and the control measures are adequate. However, the team noted that the two-day delay between the first observation of symptoms and the application of control measures should not have occurred. ¶4. The EU rep stated that there are still additional areas for improvement, mainly in containment and biosecurity measures among backyard poultry owners and veterinary services. In its report, the EU team recommended close collaboration with hunting associations to reduce the risk of AI from wild birds. ¶5. A post-outbreak survey is scheduled one month after the area is considered free of active infection. Then, samples will be taken from the vicinity before re-stocking the backyard population. ¶6. Comment: Public reaction to the outbreak has been negligible and sales of commercial poultry unaffected. This can be considered a result of effective public education. It appears that MARAQs open and transparent response has contributed to public confidence and responsible media reaction. On the technical front, Embassy Ag Office has worked very closely with USDA/APHIS to coordinate and sponsor several AI training opportunities in other countries for Turkish veterinarians in the last two years. Embassy Ag Office is actively collaborating with USDA/APHIS to plan two training sessions in Turkey that will take place next month: a diagnostic lab course in Ankara and in Izmir, and an epidemiological course in Ankara. USDA will collaborate with the EU team on the epidemiological training course. ¶7. According to the EU teamQs report, GDPC is planning to compensate the farmers for the culled backyard poultry from the World Bank fund. ¶8. 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 transshipments of U.S. poultry and products through the Mersin Free Trade Zone. Wilson