Infection in military barracks caused by uncooked turkey meat: Main opposition CHP lawmaker

An infection that led to 1,046 soldiers going to emergency service with complaints of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea on May 23 in the western province of Manisa resulted from being offered uncooked turkey meat, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Manisa lawmaker Tur Yıldız Biçer said on May 28. 

Last week, the soldiers at the Manisa First Infantry Training Brigade Command were affected by an infection, with one of the soldiers, Hüsnü Özel, being killed as a result. 

A delegation of 10 experts, including one professor, from the ministry's Public Health Institution of Turkey was sent to Manisa to investigate the cause of the infection.  

Biçer, who herself is also a doctor, visited some of the soldiers still being treated at the hospital and told daily Hürriyet that tests done after the incident were concluded. 

"In the samples, salmonella bacteria reproduction was found. This type of bacteria, which leads to intestine infection, transmits through meat, especially poultry that is not cooked well. The soldiers at the barracks had said they had eaten turkey meat that evening. Some of the soldiers I talked to had said 'part of the meat was raw, not well cooked, we tried not eating the raw parts,'" Biçer said.

"This kind of bacteria spreads through meat that is either not well cooked or not stored in line with hygiene standards," Biçer said, adding that she was "certain" the incident was caused by turkey meat. 

"Food services of here [the barracks] were outsourced to a private firm. With this incident I have learned that the food was provided from outside the barracks," Biçer said, adding that the same firm was providing the food services of a total of 12 military units across Turkey. 

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