MOSCOW, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Russia's public health authorities on Sunday warned the public against visiting Turkey following human cases of bird flu in the country.

    Chief state epidemiologist Gennady Onishchenko asked Russian citizens to refrain from visiting Turkey, the eastern Van provincein particular, after a British lab confirmed three children from the same family died of bird flu in the province.

    Turkey is a popular tourist destination for Russians.

    Explaining the reason for concern over bird flu in Turkey, Onishchenko told state television that Turkey's human cases of bird flu are quite close to Russia's borders and Russia is expecting an ordinary flu epidemic to peak in January.

    Russia itself was hit by an outbreak of bird flu in migratory birds and poultry last year, but no humans were infected by the virus.

    The bird flu virus, strains of which can spread to humans and can be fatal, has claimed lives of more than 70 people in Southeast Asia since 2003.

    Health experts fear the virus could mutate into a disease that can easily pass among humans, which would trigger a global pandemic. Enditem