Turkey: no risk of pandemic of bird flu

The day his sister died of &to=http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/90/360/14580_birdflu.html' target=_blank>bird flu, preliminary tests on the body of a Turkish teen who earlier succumbed to the ailment pointed Thursday to a strain scientists fear could trigger a global human epidemic.

Medicines were flown in, fearful townspeople visited doctors, soldiers culled fowl and funeral workers shoveled lime on the girl's grave as Turkey mobilized against a virus moving westward from eastern Asia.

"We don't expect the disease to contaminate a large number of people," Health Minister Recep Akdag said. "But there is a real risk for people who are in close contact with fowl."

Dr. Ahmet Faik Oner, who treated the children, said the youngsters most likely contracted bird flu while playing with dead chickens, explaining why their parents were not affected. The children had tossed chicken heads around like balls inside their house, Sabah newspaper reported.