Second Turkish teen dies of bird flu

ANKARA, Turkey, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Turkish officials confirmed Thursday a second teenager has died of bird flu, contracted at the family's poultry farm.

A 14-year-old boy died Sunday and his sister died early Thursday, the BBC said.

After the two teenagers, from the eastern town of Dogubeyazit, died in hospital from avian flu, Health Minister Recep Akdag said they had "lived in the same household with infected chicken" and said seven other people, including two of their relatives, are under treatment for bird flu-like symptoms.

Environment Minister Osman Pepen has reimposed a ban on the hunting of wild birds in the eastern part of the country, TurkishPress.com reported.

Dr. David Nabarro of the World Health Organization called for calm among those fearful of a pandemic.

"This is not the start of the pandemic. The pandemic starts when there is human to human transfer, confirmed and sustained," he said.

Since bird flu was detected in Asia in 2003, around 70 people have died from the H5N1 virus strain.