WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/GEN/620/Rev.1 
22 February 2006 
 (06-0745) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
UPDATE INFORMATION ON AVIAN INFLUENZA 
 
Revision
 
 
Statement by Turkey at the Meeting of 1-2 February 2006  
 
 
Introduction 
 
1. The delegation of Turkey would like to inform  the SPS Committee of the latest situation on 
avian influenza (AI) in Turkey.  The previous communication on the AI situation in Turkey was 
circulated by the Secretariat as G/SPS/GEN/620, dated 19 January 2006. 
2.  Information on various aspects of the disease is being updated on the web sites both of the 
General Directorate of Protection and Control ( www.kkgm@gov.tr ) of the Ministry of Agriculture 
and Rural Affairs (MARA) and of the MARA itself ( www.tarim.gov.tr ) in Turkish.  
3. Turkey has been preparing itself against any outbreaks of AI since 2000.  Various scenarios 
on combating against likely outbreaks of AI were  discussed within the Advisory Committee on 
Animal Health in 2000.  In 2001, AI preventi on measures were introduced and a regulation was 
circulated.  Surveillance programs and other epid emiological studies at the national level were 
initiated in 2002 and a con tingency plan for AI entered into fo rce in 2005 just a few months earlier 
than the first outbreak.  
4. Following confirmed human cases and four deaths  from Avian Influenza, the subtype H5N1 
strain, Turkey has been devoting greater attention and serious consideration to the disease.  In fact, 
control measures to prevent the spread of the di sease throughout Turkey and simulation practices have 
been on-going since the first detected case on 15 October 2005. 
Recent avian influenza outbreaks in Turkey  
5. The AI outbreak was first observed in north-west ern Anatolia.  In this region some swamp 
areas and lakes host both native wild birds and seasona l migrating birds.  The first outbreak of AI was 
controlled and eventually eradicated, through a seri es of measures based on the OIE terrestrial animal 
health code recommendations.  Rela ted international organizations, su ch as the OIE, WHO, FAO, as 
well as related institutions of the European Un ion and neighboring countries, were immediately 
informed of the situation of the outbreak.  Measu res taken included preventive measures and control 
and eradication activities. 
6. Subsequently, on 15 December 2005, a notificatio n was received of suspected deaths of 
backyard poultry flock in far-eastern Turkey.  Tes ting of samples taken from the poultry suspected of 
being infected confirmed the presence of the H5N1 st rain of the AI virus.  These tests were conducted 
by the national reference laboratory (Bornova Ve terinary Control and Research Institute) on 26 
December 2005 and the diagnosis was also confirme d by the Weybridge of England, on 7 January 
2006. G/SPS/GEN/620/Rev.1 
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  7. AI outbreaks were detected in small open-range, backyard poultry flocks and in swamp areas 
through clinical and post mortem examinations a nd were confirmed through laboratory examinations 
by the national reference laboratory.  Currently, 67 outbreaks in 31 provinces have been confirmed to 
be due to the AI virus.  While there have been  66 suspected outbreaks in 26 provinces that have not 
been confirmed as AI positive, these cases have been  assumed to be AI positive and preventive and 
control measures have been implemented to address them.  Since the second outbreak on 15 
December 2005, around 6.700 samples were examined by competent laboratories in the country and 
392 were found to be positive; 66 were assumed to be suspected positive and the rest were negative 
including 779 samples that were not appropriate for examination and analysis. 
8. Diagnosis of the disease at the H5 subtype level can be made in three Veterinary Control and 
Research Institutes (Bornova in Iz mir, Etlik in Ankara and Pendik in Istanbul).  Diagnosis by egg 
inoculations can be carried out in 8 institutions  (Bornova, Etlik, Pendik, Konya, Adana, Samsun, 
Elazig, Erzurum).  National reference laboratories are to be provided with Real-Time PCR devices 
within the capacity enhancement program to enable diagnosis at an advanced level. 
9. As of 30 January 2006, within the quarantine a nd outer zones, 1.596 million birds, almost all 
from small household establishments, have been sl aughtered and buried with lime.  All localities 
where outbreaks have been found to be positive for AI seem to be along migration routes of migrating 
birds except few swamp areas.  AI has not been observed in commercially integrated medium- to 
large-sized poultry production enterprises in Turkey.  The government declared that 10 million hens, 
that have completed their economical life in e gg production establishments, would be culled with 
partial compensation so as not to be distributed into the small household backyards. 
10. Currently, the spread of disease is blocked and the general situation is under control.  
Detected, confirmed and reported cases have been decr easing considerably within the last two weeks. 
It has been reported that the quarantine measure were removed in the site where an outbreak was 
confirmed on 26 December 2005.  
Human cases 
11. Concerning the human cases, 21 cases have been  diagnosed with AI strain H5N1. Four 
children who were in close contact  with infected poultry died, twelve patients recovered, and five 
other patients are still under treatment in hospitals.  
Risk reduction and control interventions  
 
12. Scientific disease prevention and control methods  and measures have been on-going since the 
first outbreak of AI in north-western Anatolia a nd the second outbreak in eastern Anatolia.  Close 
cooperation and collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Ministry of 
Health, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry  and other government bodies have been enhanced.  
Expert teams have carried out fiel d visits and held follow-up meeti ngs with experts from both national 
and international institutions.  An expert team fr om relevant internationa l organizations has also 
carried out field trips and discussed the situation in detail.  A specific scientific committee has also 
been established to make further studies and r ecommendations on the prevention and control of the 
disease.  
13. Some preliminary actions (which are general practice in any communicable and/or zoonotic 
disease outbreak) taken prior to the comprehensive ri sk reduction and control intervention include:  
• Immediate arrival at the site where outbreak is  reported, notified or observed through various 
information gathering practices;  G/SPS/GEN/620/Rev.1 
 Page 3 
 
 
  • Investigation, observations, identification of in fected and dead animals, quick surveillance, 
sampling for laboratory examinations, assessment  of the situation for further work and 
gathering supportive information for decision making; 
• Imposition of temporary quarantine measures including temporary banning of animal 
movements within the infected site and/or within sites suspected to be infected.; 
• Cleaning, disinfection of the site; and  
• Dissemination of information and prior notification of the disease to the relevant authority for 
further action and decision.  
14. Risk reduction and control interventions imposed include: 
• Establishment of protection zones within a 3 km  radius and surveillance zones within a 7 km 
radius around the infected village and/or premises; 
• Stamping out of all susceptible bird animals in the control zone established in a 3 km radius 
around the outbreak and compensation of the losses.  Culling and burial with lime of all animals dead, infected and susceptible of being in fected within the control zone in a pit on the 
ground; 
• Disinfection in and around of infected premises and establishments, as well as those premises 
and establishments suspected of being infected; 
• Quarantine and bio-security measures in and around the control and surveillance zones; 
• Tightened control of movement of all kind of animals inside the country ; ban on movements 
of susceptible species in the country an d the closure of livestock markets; 
• Active surveillance of the wildlife reservations and swamp areas;  and 
• Continuous clinical and serological surveillan ce around the outbreaks and/or suspected cases 
and within the potentially sensitive areas. 
 
Administrative and financial measures 
 15. Administrative and financial measures taken include: 
• Activation of regional and na tional contingency planning.  Implementation of risk 
management practices; 
• Activation of high alert status for national and local disease control centers;  
• Establishment of a specific scientific committee on AI; 
• Increased and tightened bio-security  measures throughout the country; 
• Immediate and on-going provision of information about the occurrence of the disease to all 
related international organiza tions and neighboring countries; 
• Raising of public awareness through all ava ilable means of communications, mainly by 
published and/or broadcast medi a nationally and regionally; 
• Training of technical staff and increasing the capacity of veterinary services through various 
means including continuous working hours; 
• 
Allocation and mobilization of financial res ources, in addition to the existing budgetary 
allocations;  and 
• Temporary prohibition of bird hunting in the country until further announcement; and  
 G/SPS/GEN/620/Rev.1 
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  • Launching measures through all possible means to break the chain of spread of the disease 
between wild birds, back yard poultry and humans.  
 
Conclusion  
16. As clearly stated by some delegations at the informal session of the SPS Committee 
yesterday, control and eradication of AI is burdens ome, costly and requires great efforts.  A widely 
shared opinion is that AI is a global issue and has to be overcome through a responsive and coordinated global effort.  Due to the nature, source and the dynamics of the disease, available 
scientific methods dealing with the disease as we ll as all the necessary resources should be used 
simultaneously by national government s and the international community with a view to eventually 
controlling and eradicating the disease . The first and fo remost prerequisite to deal with the disease is 
to recognize and identify the problem.  This underlin es once again the importance of transparency and 
responsiveness in such cas es at all likely costs. 
Further Enquiries:  
 Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA)  
General Directorate of Protection and Control (GDPC)  Akay Cad. No 3 06100, BAKANL İKLAR – ANKARA 
 
National Enquiry Point  
 
Dr. Durali Koçak  Deputy Director General  Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs General Directorate of Protection and Control  
Tel : + 90. 312. 417 42 76 (PBX) 
Fax : + 90. 312. 418 63 18 – 418 65 23  E-mail : sps@kkgm.gov.tr
, duralik@kkgm.gov.tr   
Internet : www.kkgm.gov.tr   
 Mustafa Tufan 
Director of Veterinary Epidemiology and Information Section 
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs General Directorate of Protection and Control Tel : +90. 312. 418 63 17  Fax : +90. 312. 417 82 09 
E-mail : mustafat@kkgm.gov.tr
 
Internet : www.kkgm.gov.tr  
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