Has bird flu reached the Galilee?
Fowl found dead in northern coops; Experts say birds likely died of another illness called Newcastle disease
Has bird flu reached the north? The Ministry of Agriculture is checking whether a large number of fowl found dead in a Galilee village on Friday were infected with bird flu which was found on a number of farms in the south.
Chicken coop owners in the north feared avian flu could reach their birds and their fears could be proved true if tests on blood samples taken from the dead birds show positive results.
In the afternoon dozens of fowl were found in the Galilee village. There is a good chance that the fowl died of Newcastle Disease, another bird illness which was discovered in northern coops lately.
Earlier Friday, the Ministry of Agriculture released optimistic data about its efforts to contain the disease. An operation to cull and burry fowl in scoops across the south have been completed, to the exception of a one flock in Amioz which will be buried on Saturday. Progress has been made in coops in the Jordan Valley.
Also on Friday, Agriculture Minister Zeev Boim spoke to the Jordanian Agriculture Minister to discuss the outbreak of bird flu in Jordan. Boim offered his Jordanian counterpart aid and stressed the need for cooperation in fighting the outbreak.
The Jordanian Minister said he followed closely the Israeli Agriculture ministry's steps and welcomed further updates and assistance.
On Thursday, Jordan braced for a bird flu outbreak for fears that the virus could spread from the West Bank and the Jordan valley to the Kingdom.
