Fourth bird flu death in Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey (CNN) -- A 12-year-old girl who died Sunday has tested positive for the lethal H5N1 strain of bird flu, health officials said, bringing Turkey's death toll from the virus to four and the number of its human cases to 20.
 
Monday, January 16, 2006; Posted: 9:33 a.m. EST (14:33 GMT)
 
Fatma Ozcan died of bird flu-like symptoms in the eastern city of Van, said Dr. Huseyin Avni Sahin, chief physician at the Van University Hospital.
 
Initial tests had been negative for H5N1, but health officials ordered more tests after her 5-year-old brother, Muhammad Ozcan, tested positive.
 
The additional tests confirmed she was infected with the H5N1 strain, according to a statement from the Health Ministry on Monday.
 
Both siblings had contact with sick birds, The Associated Press quoted officials as saying.
 
Also Monday, the government's bird flu crisis center said the country has slaughtered 764,000 fowl nationwide in its effort to contain the outbreak, AP reported.
 
So far, 20 people have tested positive for H5N1 in Turkey, including three children who died last week in eastern Turkey, authorities said.
 
Health officials have said that all 20 people apparently had touched or played with birds, and that there was no evidence of person-to-person infection, AP reported.
 
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