Posted on 01/05/2006 7:44:52 AM PST by Semper Paratus
Five additional patients, also with flu-like symptoms, have been hospitalized in Erzurum
The above comments suggest that the number of patients hospitalized in Turkey has grown to 26 and come from four provinces.
Media reports support the following breakdown.
15 patients were hospitalized in Van. These patients included the four Kocygit siblings (two have died and one is in critical condition) as well as 8 members of the Ozkan family and two additional people from Agri Province. There is also one patient from Van. The lack of reported poultry infections in Van, coupled with the large number of patients in Van raise the possibility of transmission to a health care worker in Van.
In addition to the 15 patients in Van, there are 6 patients from Igdir as well as the 5 patients described above from Erzurum.
Thus, the total is 26 patients from four provinces including four siblings from one family (Kocygit) and 8 members of another family (Okzan).
The dramatic increase in hospitalized patients in sparsely populated eastern Turkey is cause for concern. Most of the patients have breathing difficulties and are on ventilators. Two have died and at least one is in critical condition.
Outbreaks of dead birds have been reported in Igdir, Agri, Eruzum, and Kars Provinces suggesting H5N1 is easily passed from poultry to humans. This increased efficiency is cause for concern because the H5N1 that is efficiently transmitted is present in at least three provinces and will likely spread this strain further in the Middle East and Africa.
More information of the sequences of H5N1, including position 227 of HA, from poultry and people would be useful.
If any nation would serve as the incubator for bird flu, it would have to be Turkey...
Well, it could have been Chickenstan.
Bears watching.
Thank you for posting this.
Interestingly, there have been reports that low pathogenicity (does not cause severe disease) H5N1 has been found in some birds in Canada. No human cases.
I'm not completely sure what is the exact difference between low-path and high-pathogenicity H5N1 in birds. But I SURE don't like hearing that H5N1 is in North America.
FYI.
LJ - thanks for the ping(s). I do appreciate it. This does not look good for Turkey or Europe.
BearWash - FYI ping
If bird flu was going to spread, it would be in Turkey and China. What we see happen in Turkey is probably ten times worse in China and being covered up by the party for fear it will hurt the economy and travel.
You must think I'm some kind of dodo, or else my humor has flown right over your head. I wasn't commenting so much on the epidemiological aspects of this disease, so much as the irony of the name of the nation where it had seemed to feather its nest and take roost. So rather than pat yourself on the back for your hawk-eyed identification of the shortcomings of my post, you might want to be a little more light hearted, and note that you were as blind as a bat where puns are concerned. Sparrow me your efforts to thrush to judgment and consider me some kind of bird brain for not knowing better, but perhaps look inward, even though what you see there may be a bit hard to swallow.
Sparrow me your inferiority complex. I was just saying that we will see what is happening behind the iron curtin of China by what is exposed in Turkey. : )
Lighten up, I'm just falcon around...;-)
We have fourteen wild turkeys living in our back yard. That's a male, ours are female.
You know I see them evey year while deer hunting...
...then the funny thing is...I see deer while turkey hunting.
***************
:) It's a conspiracy.
""The taunts are getting louder, more personal and more offensive. It's not an accident. "
I expect there's pressure on Ahmadinjad from the terror cells secreted in this country. The longer they have to wait, the greater their chance of exposure.
As soon as we or Israel move on Iran, expect serious action in this country...things will be 'popping' everywhere...look for serious infrastructure damage, power, transportation and etc.
Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to stock up the 'hurricane' store room.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.