Turkey accuses nations of hiding bird flu

Jan. 20, 2006
Miami Herald
By SUZAN FRASER of Associated Press

ANKARA, Turkey - Turkey's agriculture minister accused several neighboring countries Friday of concealing bird flu outbreaks and hampering efforts to prevent the spread of the disease.
[...]
"We know through unofficial channels that the disease exists ... in neighboring countries, which are ruled by closed regimes," Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker said during a meeting with governors of Turkey's 81 provinces. "These countries do not officially declare the existence of the disease." He did not name the countries.
[...]
Syria rejected the accusation, saying it had taken precautionary measures to prevent the disease's spread, including imposing a two-month ban on the import of fowl from all countries and tightening border controls.
[...]
The FAO, however, has no evidence of any outbreaks in Turkey's neighbors, said Juan Lubroth, a senior officer at the Rome-based agency's animal production and health division. A joint team from the World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health will visit the region next week to assess the needs of Turkey's neighbors and "get a sense of whether they are on top of it or not," Lubroth said.
[...]
Experts on infectious diseases from the U.S Agency for International Development visited Erzurum, eastern Turkey, on Friday as part of a tour of affected areas to assess how Washington could help the country.

"We are here to learn about what is happening and what has been done and to see how the United States, a strong friend and ally of Turkey, can assist," Ann Derse, the head of the delegation, told reporters.
[...]

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