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ISTANBUL, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish government claimed Monday that the bird flu outbreak which killed at least 40,000 chickens in the last four months is under control after taking all the necessary precautions in its western province of Balikesir, about 400 km southwest of Istanbul.
The Turkish Minister of Health Mehmet Muezzinoglu said in a press conference that all necessary precautions had been taken, stating that no additional measures were currently needed.
The areas surrounding poultry facilities in the region have been quarantined since April 3. Chickens at risk of infection have been culled and the facilities were disinfected, the semi-official Anadolu agency quoted Bandirma Governor Ali Manti as saying.
The reason for the bird flu outbreak in Turkey is migrant birds, as their route includes Bandirma, where at least 1.2 million chickens are bred in poultry facilities, private Dogan News Agency reported.
Roads leading to the poultry facilities are blocked and hunting is banned in the region until further notice in Bandirma.
