WHO confirms 18 human bird flu cases in Turkey

ANKARA (Reuters) – The World Health Organization (WHO) said
on Thursday the number of people who have caught the deadly
bird flu virus in Turkey has risen to 18 from 15, mostly
children.

Guenael Rodier, head of the WHO mission to Turkey, told
Reuters in an interview that laboratory tests in Ankara showed
that the third dead child from the same family had H5N1.
Initial tests showed she did not have the bird flu virus.

“The (other) two new additional cases are also children who
lived in close proximity to poultry but they come from two
geographical separate areas,” he said.

The deadly H5N1 virus has been found in wild birds and
poultry across Turkey.