Turkey heightens precautions as swine flu cases exceed 1,000

The Health Ministry announced in a written statement on Monday that the number of swine flu cases documented since May 15, when the first swine flu case was diagnosed in the country, has grown to 1,095. Five of those infected by the virus are currently being hospitalized, the statement said, adding that one patient is receiving treatment in an intensive care unit. “This figure [1,095] is the total number of swine flu cases discovered in Turkey since the emergence of the virus in the country, but not the number of current cases,” read the statement. The Health Ministry statement shows that the number of swine flu cases in Turkey has almost doubled since last Wednesday at which point 582 cases had been reported. Turkey's first and thus far only swine flu death was reported on Saturday in Ankara. Mustafa Güneş died at Ankara's Atatürk Sanatorium, where he had been receiving treatment.

İstanbul Governor Muammer Güler also announced on Monday that 88 people in İstanbul have been found to be carrying the H1N1 virus. He said 48 of those infected were students at 22 schools and 40 were adults. Speaking on a television program, the governor of Ankara stated that swine flu cases had been found at nearly 70 schools in Ankara.

Buses, ferries, trams and metros are being disinfected in İstanbul as a precaution against the spread of swine flu.

Three students at three different schools in the southeastern province of Mardin were also diagnosed with swine flu on Monday, prompting authorities to close schools in the province until next Monday. The Education Ministry announced on Monday that all primary and secondary schools nationwide, as well as courses at private educational institutions, would be closed this Friday, in addition to the Republic Day holiday on Thursday, to allow schools to be disinfected in an attempt to halt the spread of swine flu.

In order to prevent children whose schools are closed from falling behind in their studies, televised lessons were launched on the state-run TRT 3 television station yesterday. The Education Ministry enlisted 155 teachers to film lessons for elementary and secondary school students.

Swine flu cases have also been reported in the southern province of Adana, in the Aegean province of Manisa and in the Central Anatolian province of Kayseri. Y.D., who was hospitalized in Manisa, was reportedly in a critical condition. Several people have also been hospitalized in a number of cities on suspicion of having the virus.

Public transportation vehicles, mosques being disinfected

After the Education Ministry decided to disinfect schools over the upcoming four-day weekend to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus, municipalities and the Confederation of Mosque and Quran Course Associations have also accelerated pre-emptive steps against the virus. The Confederation of Mosque and Quran Course Associations has sent a directive to all mosque associations across the country to clean and disinfect the houses of worship. İstanbul Mayor Kadir Topbaş has also announced that municipal teams are disinfecting buses, ferries, trams and metros. He said escalators and handrails in İstanbul will also be disinfected regularly.

The head of the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Transportation Department (EGO) General Directorate, Ömer Ulu, also said yesterday that buses and metros in Ankara, which were being cleaned every day and disinfected once a week before the outbreak of swine flu, are being disinfected twice a week in addition to their regular daily cleaning.

Delivery of vaccines to 81 provinces begins

Testing of the country’s supply of swine flu vaccines has largely been completed, and no problems have been detected thus far from the 35 random samples being evaluated. The tests were carried out by the Refik Saydam Public Health Center, and the ultimate decision on whether the vaccines are suitable for public use in Turkey will be made tomorrow.

The Health Ministry announced yesterday that the vaccines have started to be sent out to the 81 provinces as no adverse effects have been observed. The schedule for the vaccinations will be determined by the Health Ministry. Health workers are to be the first to receive vaccinations, followed by pilgrims who will embark on hajj over the next few weeks.

Health Minister Recep Akdağ has announced that the vaccination of students is planned to start in late November and end in January. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also said on Monday that vaccination will be voluntary and parents will decide whether to vaccinate their children. Akdağ also urged the public to avoid kissing or shaking hands for the next five months to contain the spread of H1N1.