Cyprus-Forum.com

[Sotos]

The European Commission announced a ban on all imports of live birds and feathers from Turkey into the 25-nation EU on Monday after Ankara confirmed an outbreak of the highly contagious avian influenza.

What about the occupied areas? If bird flu passes from Turkey to the occupied areas then it can pass here as well I think we are in great risk! The government should do something more than what other EU countries are doing since the flu is right next door

[garbitsch]

Don't worry, the flu was only found in Manyas. It doesn't exist in North Cyprus.

[Pekousek]

My humble opinion is the birds are risk group, not Turkey. They can get to Cyprus and to other countries from anywhere.

[devil]

Turkeys are more at risk than Turkey!

[Pekousek]

compare to birds?

[Sotos]

Isn't the problem mainly with chickens and farm birds? Those kinds of birds can not just fly from one country to another. But they can be imported. I hope there will be no idiot that will bring chickens from the occupied areas because they are cheaper!

[devil]

And why should the "occupied areas" be more at risk than the Republic? The manifestation may be more in poultry, but the vector carrying the disease is wild birds. As Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Russia all appear now to have pockets of infection and as Cyprus is currently hosting millions of wild birds migrating from these areas, it is probably only a question of time before some poultry farms in all parts of this country are hit. The big questions are:
1. will the poultry farmer respond correctly, advising the authorities immediately, rather than trying to sell off some birds before doing so?
2. will the authorities react rapidly to cull the birds correctly in neighbouring farms, as well, and cremate the corpses?
3. will all action be taken to ensure that there is no chance that the poultry farmers, workers and family can be infected?
4. what measures are being taken to ensure that the general public will not panic, emotionally believing that the end is nigh?

[Nicko]

Ella simbatriotes mou, the bird flu is nothing to worry about on this side of Cyprus!! Imaste Kybrey!! eneshi etsi brama...bird flu mishimou!!

[BirKibrisli]

Relax everyone.
The best protection the world has is that it is still very difficult to catch bird flu from birds.And in those rare cases,it is not easily transmittable between people...at this stage.Remember,SARS? That was going to wipe out the world at one stage.Media hype,that's what it was.
Now if people could catch computer viruses,that will be something to really worry about.

[Sotos]

NICOSIA, Oct 12 (Reuters) - EU member Cyprus will stockpile anti-viral drugs as part of contingency planning against avian flu after an outbreak of the highly contagious virus in neighbouring Turkey, officials said on Wednesday.

Experts fear the virus, known to pass to humans from birds, could mutate and start spreading easily from person to person, possibly creating a pandemic.

Tests are still pending on whether the virus detected in Turkey is a low-risk strain or a highly virulent one which has killed 60 people and millions of birds across Asia.

Cypriot Health Minister Andreas Gavrielides said authorities were working to release funds quickly to buy anti-viral drugs. The quantity would be equivalent to the needs of four to five percent of Cyprus's population, which is just under a million.

"We have reviewed our plans and confirmed we are prepared for any eventuality," Gavrielides told Reuters.

Cyprus lies on a key bird migration route and authorities struggle to control the illegal trapping of hundreds of thousands of birds, which are consumed as delicacies.

Authorities in Turkish Cypriot north Cyprus, which has close ties with Turkey, have also banned the import of Turkish poultry.