Israel’s Agriculture Ministry said Tuesday that the pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been detected in a coop containing 20,000 turkeys at a farm in the village of Beit Halevi in the Hefer Valley. The village is about 4 miles from the location of the previous outbreak, also in the Hefer Valley, and some 20 miles northeast of Tel Aviv. As a result, the ministry quarantined all coops within 6 miles of the infected coop and began active monitoring of all poultry farms in the area. It urged the public to buy eggs only if they are packaged and labeled and only from regulated markets and suggested that consumers well cook, bake, or fry eggs and poultry before eating. The ministry also told breeders to keep their birds indoors, which reduces the risk of infection from wild birds. The ministry detected two previous bird flu outbreaks on turkey farms in Israel over the past month but found no epidemiological link between the three cases.
H5N1, also known as avian influenza or bird flu, is a highly contagious and potentially fatal viral infection that primarily affects birds, but can also infect humans and other animals. The virus is transmitted from bird to bird through direct contact or through contaminated objects such as feathers, feces, and water. In humans, H5N1 can cause severe respiratory illness, often leading to death. The virus has caused multiple outbreaks in poultry populations and has resulted in the culling of millions of birds to prevent its spread. While the virus does not typically spread easily from person to person, it can be transmitted through close contact with infected birds or their secretions. There is currently no cure for H5N1 infection, so prevention through vaccination and good hygiene is crucial to controlling the spread of the virus.