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Chicken Little: "concerned"
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| By Associated Press March 16, 2006 |
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Israel's agriculture minister said Thursday that the widespread death of turkeys at two communities in southern Israel could have been caused by the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu. The outbreak, if confirmed, would be the first case of the virus in Israel.
Agriculture Minister Zeev Boim said Israel was still testing the birds to determine whether they had the feared flu strain.
"Tonight, we will likely find out if indeed we are talking about bird flu," Boim told Israel TV. "In the meantime, it is a suspicion."
The suspected outbreak was centered on the Negev Desert farming community of Ein Hashlosha and the nearby community of Holit, where a large number of turkeys were found dead, Boim said.
"We have imposed a quarantine in a radius of 7 kilometers (4 miles) around the area, and we are prepared, in case our suspicions are confirmed, to prepare for a widescale destruction of the flocks in a radius of 3 kilometers (2 miles)," he said.
The H5N1 virus was detected in neighboring Egypt last month, and Boim said the death of the birds in southern Israel might indicate that the disease could have entered the country from Egypt.
The Web site of Israel's Haaretz daily reported that 1,000 birds were found dead in the area, and veterinary officials were meeting urgently to discuss the situation. Quoting unnamed medical sources, Haaretz reported that the birds had died from avian flu, though it had not yet been determined if it was the feared H5N1 strain of the virus.
Health officials fear H5N1 could evolve into a virus that can be transmitted easily between people and become a global pandemic, but there has been no confirmation of this happening yet. At least 97 people have died from the disease worldwide, with most victims infected directly by sick birds.
The H5N1 strain has killed or forced the slaughter of tens of millions of chickens and ducks across Asia since 2003, and recently spread to Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Boim stressed that Israelis should remain calm until the tests have been completed.
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