VZCZCXRO7368
RR RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHPB RUEHPOD
DE RUEHAK #0190 0321502
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 011502Z FEB 08
FM AMEMBASSY ANKARA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5103
INFO RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
RUEHVI/AMEMBASSY VIENNA 1688
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 6698
RUEHDA/AMCONSUL ADANA 2662
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3825
RUEUITH/ODC ANKARA TU
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1578
RUEHZN/EST COLLECTIVE

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