By Demetra Molyva

THE bird flu virus found in Turkish poultry was the H5N1 strain that scientists fear may mutate into a human virus and spark a pandemic, it was confirmed yesterday.

EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Marcos Kyprianou told a news conference in Brussels yesterday: "We have now received confirmation that the virus found in Turkey is an avian flu H5N1 virus," "There is a direct relationship with viruses found in Russia, Mongolia and China," said Kyprianou.

The EU also said samples from birds in Romania came back positive for bird flu, and scientists have narrowed the strain to an H5 type virus. Veterinary experts were meeting yesterday to try to determine the exact strain in Romania.

Kyprianou said the European Commission was proposing to set aside 1b euros to help make and distribute anti-virals and vaccines "in case of a pandemic."

He advised EU countries to administer the standard flu vaccine to vulnerable populations: people over age 65, young children and those with weakened immune systems or chronic respiratory conditions and also those living near the outbreak sites.

Kyprianou urged EU nations to stockpile anti-virus drugs, saying: "It's the first line of defence."

Sixty deaths

The H5N1 bird flu strain does not easily infect humans, but 117 people in Asia, mostly poultry workers, have caught it over the last two years and 60 of them have died.

The fact that H5N1 has shown up in Europe is worrying because the more the virus spreads among birds, the more opportunities it has to mutate.

The virus does not have to be inside a human to genetically mutate into a form that is dangerous to people. Some experts believe it may only take one unfortunate genetic mutation to change the virus from a bird one to a human one.

"We are talking about the mutation of any existing strain of the flu virus into a completely new strain where we have no defenses, where there are no natural antibodies or medicine," Kyprianou said.

"With the people who were affected in Southeast Asia, the evidence shows that this was through contact with birds," he said.

"We are concerned about a new strain of virus ... that can be transmitted from humans to humans."

The bird flu outbreak in western Turkey has been contained, the health minister said Thursday, urging the public to remain calm amid panic over news that Turkish birds were infected with the virulent H5N1 virus.

"Bird flu is totally under control," Health Minister Recep Akdag said.

"The outbreak in winged animals occurred in one area and has been contained."

"Of course, we need to be careful; we need to do our homework well," he said, reassuring Turks that the government was ready to deal with bird flu.

Yesterday, the Greek authorities were put on full alert, after 30 dead birds were found on board a ship that sailed from Egypt to Piraeus.

Cyprus is taking preventive measures but authorities say there is no cause for concern as no cases have been detected on the island.

Drugs ordered

This was confirmed this week by Health and Agriculture Ministers, Andreas Gavrielides and Timis Efthymiou.

After a meeting on the issue, at the Agriculture Ministry on Wednesday, the Health Minister said that Cyprus would order two anti-viral drugs from the UK which would cover 4%-5% of the population - mainly the high-risk groups and people working or dealing with poultry and birds.

The authorities are working to release funds speedily to buy the anti-viral drugs, Gavrielides said, noting that 60,000 doses would be bought by the state and 40,000 by the private sector.

The Agriculture Minister warned that although there was no major cause for concern, there is a risk, as poultry was being transferred to the government controlled areas from the Turkish-occupied north, through unofficial crossing points not controlled by the authorities.

"Although concern is justifiable, there is no reason to panic," Efthymiou told reporters yesterday.

Quizzed by reporters earlier this week, on whether the government is taking stricter measures at the checkpoints dividing the island from the Turkish occupied areas, the minister said that instructions had been given so that no meat from the occupied north would come into government-controlled areas.

Efthymiou told reporters the government was implementing an action plan, which had been prepared some time ago, in the event of the virus hitting Cyprus.

The authorities are on full alert, implementing a strict monitoring programme and have banned the import of living poultry from countries suspected of being affected by the avian influenza.

Constant contact

The two ministries are in constant contact with the relative communal bodies and have made known to them the strategic plans prepared by the Veterinary and Medical Services.

Olga Kalakouta senior Health Ministry medical officer, said: "Cyprus’s measures against the H5N1 strain of the virus include precautions and instructions for high risk groups, mainly people dealing with birds and poultry."

"Cyprus has always had bird flu in its poultry but never cases in humans. The fear is that the strain of the virus will mutate. The common flu vaccine does not fight the virus but it helps to stop its mutation and offers some protection against the avian influnza," Kalakouta said.

In the event of any mutations of the strain of virus, pharmaceutical firms will develop a vaccine within two to three months, she told The Cyprus Weekly yesterday.

Christos Hadjipapas, of the Veterinary Services, said:

"The hunting season will open as normal following EU directives but, in association with the Hunting Services and various associations, full precautions are being taken with hunters, including instructions on how to protect themselves and also to inform the authorities, if they see a dead bird."

The EU banned all imports of poultry products from Turkey and Romania, where 3,000 birds have already been culled.

The illegal Turkish Cypriot authorities, also banned the import of Turkish poultry.

The European Commission is hopeful that there is no highly contagious avian influenza in Romania, a spokesman said in Brussels on Wednesday.

First time

"All the virological tests carried out to-date in Romania have failed to identify the presence of avian influenza virus. Every day that passes…. reassures us that avian influenza is not in fact present in Romania, " Commission spokesman, Philip Todd told reporters.

It is the first time bird flu has been found in Europe since the deadly outbreak of H5N1, in Asia last year.

The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 which killed 20-40 million people worldwide - more than World War I - originated from birds. Yesterday, the Veterinary Services said that there was no danger in Cyprus, except from migratory wild birds travelling from the North to Africa, from which farms are protected with the required measures.

The Cyprus Poultry Association said that there is no risk of contracting the virus by eating poultry meat and eggs, since the virus is not food-borne.

Chest disease specialist, Evis Pagdhadis, hailed the government move to obtain a supply of anti-viral drugs, noting that they are expensive and under normal circumstances not available in Cyprus.

Risk groups

Bird flu viruses occur naturally in migratory waterfowl and are passed on in droppings and other secretions. Domesticated birds like chickens and turkeys are particularly prone to the more deadly variants that develop.

At risk are pregnant women, the young, and individuals with weakened immune systems.

Symptoms in humans who contract the H5N1 virus range from fever, sore throat and cough to severe respiratory illness and organ failure in fatal cases. So far, almost all victims had been in close contact with infected birds.