As long as we're dealing only with migratory birds being found here and there, I don't think it's a big deal, frankly. The big issue is if we start to have domestic poultry infected. Then it would start to be a problem ... a higher risk for transmission to humans.
The two brothers are a very interesting finding that may for the first time give us a chance to monitor the human response to the disease.
The picture is quite clear. We have a situation similar to what we've seen in Asia so far. There are a number of small-size family clusters of disease, including many children that had contact with infected birds, in particular backyard poultry, particularly backyard chickens.
When we have a child infected we are giving the virus more chance to adapt to human beings, and giving it this chance could help create conditions for the emergence of a new virus.
Any countries in the regions which have situations in the rural areas similar to what we have here in Turkey could obviously have some diseases in animals and potentially in humans and that requires to strengthen surveillance systems both for humans and animals and to take all the measures necessary to control diseases in animals.
It was the same in Asia. It mainly occurred in family clusters of small size, and mainly in children.
We want to see the laboratory (results) before we move on. But she's likely to be a case, unfortunately.
It's clear that the virus is well-established in the region.
We may be playing with fire.
I have to say that the (Turkish) minister of health is completely open to these issues of opportunity . . . to learn more about H5N1 in humans.
It seems like it has spread much more widely in animals and in more districts that was initially thought.
All of the cases confirmed by the laboratory are people who had close contact with infected, sick or dead poultry. The major point now is to control the outbreak in poultry as it is the source of infection in humans.
I have a sense that what is going on in Turkey can be brought under control relatively easily.
Copyright © 2024 Electric Goat Media. All Rights Reserved.