Bird Flu - Russians Advised Not To Visit Turkey

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Main Category: Bird Flu / Avian Flu
Also Included In: Flu / Cold / SARS
Article Date: 09 Jan 2006 - 1:00 PDT

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Health authorities are advising Russians not to visit Turkey as cases of human infections have surfaced. Many Russians go to Turkey on vacation.

UK labs have confirmed three children, all siblings, died from H5N1 Bird Flu Virus strain infection in eastern Turkey. There are other suspected cases in different towns - some in eastern Turkey and some even in the capital Ankara.

Mr. Onishchenko, on behalf of Russian authorities, said the latest confirmed cases of human infection have occurred quite close the Russian border. There have been several cases of birds being infected with bird flu in Russia, but to date there have been no cases of humans becoming infected.

There is at the moment a (normal human) flu epidemic in Russia. Many experts say that the H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus could learn how to spread among humans if it infected a person who had the (normal) flu. It could then exchange genetic information with the human flu virus and mutate into one that spreads from human-to-human. When it manages to mutate in this way we could be facing a serious, global flu pandemic.

The H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus is a particularly virulent (powerful, deadly). So far, about half the people who become infected die.

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Copyright: Medical News Today
Not to be reproduced without permission of Medical News Today

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