Italian Health Minister Francesco Storace said Friday that bird flu outbreaks which have killed three people in Turkey posed no risk for Italy.

"At the moment, the new outbreaks of bird flu in Turkey do not increase the risk for Italy," said Storace, stressing that current measures were sufficient to stop the epidemic reaching the country.

"The Turkish authorities are coping with the outbreak, according to the reports we have from international experts monitoring the situation", he said.

But the minister said that nevertheless Italian officials were preparing to face any possibility "because you can never say never in such cases."

The Health Ministry had earmarked funds to purchase 20 million doses of animal vaccines, he said, stressing that he wanted them readily available "just in case we have to react immediately."

Officials have repeatedly advised Italians that the situation is under control and there is no risk of getting the disease from other people.

Italians have also been warned not to buy alleged vaccines advertised on the Internet and elsewhere. Storace stressed there was yet no human vaccine for this virus.

The European Union has already banned imports of fowl from countries where bird flu has been detected.

Source: Xinhua