Suspected human cases of avian flu in Turkey
5 January 2006
The Health Protection Agency is aware of a cluster of suspected human cases of avian influenza in Turkey and is working closely with the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Control to obtain further details. A group of experts, convened by WHO, is going to Turkey to assist with the investigations.
The Turkish authorities have reported that the disease has been confirmed in Turkish laboratories in two children who have subsequently died. These samples are now being sent to a WHO laboratory for further confirmation. The children are reported to be part of a family that works closely with poultry. In addition to these deaths, there are thought to be a number of other suspected cases in the family and in people associated with the family. The exact number of people affected still needs to be confirmed.
Although these are thought to be the first cases of avian flu in humans outside South East Asia , it is important to stress that avian flu still remains a disease in poultry and that all human cases confirmed to date have had close contact with infected poultry. These human cases in Turkey follow outbreaks of the disease in poultry in this area and other parts of Eastern Europe in recent months.
If confirmed, the possibility of human to human transmission will be investigated in this cluster of cases - this, however, can not be presumed until samples have been confirmed in a WHO laboratory and epidemiological investigation is completed.
This is not the start of a pandemic and the risk to the UK remains very low. Avian flu remains a disease of poultry, and human cases have occurred only in people who have had close contact with diseased birds. These human cases have occurred in a rural part of eastern Turkey . The risk to people travelling to Turkey remains low but we would remind travellers to avoid close contact with poultry.
For further information on avian flu go to: http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/influenza/avian/default.htm
Last reviewed: 5 January 2009