TBLISI, January 11 (RIA Novosti, Marina Kvaratskheliya) - The Georgian government will meet Wednesday to discuss urgent measures to counter the spread of bird flu from neighboring Turkey, but has said it does not intend to close its border with the country.
So far in Turkey, 14 human avian flu cases have been confirmed by the World Health Organization and three children have died of the H5N1 strain of the virus this year.
The Council of Ministers of Adzharia, a Georgian autonomous republic on the Turkish border, said Wednesday that outlets trading live poultry at local markets in two towns had already been closed.
Specialists from the Georgian Health Ministry trained in controlling the spread of infectious diseases are working round the clock at checkpoints on the Turkish border. Vehicles are being disinfected on the border, and everyone entering Georgia from Turkey has to pass through a "disinfection corridor".
The Georgian government has so far spent $250,000 on purchasing disinfectant solutions and equipment from Germany to fight the spread of bird flu.
Georgia has also bought large quantities of the antiviral drug Tamiflu from Switzerland to help prevent the spread of the lethal H5N1.
