JERUSALEM, Dec. 13 (Xinhua) -- Israel has detected an outbreak of the pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza at a turkey farm in central Israel, the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said on Tuesday.
The outbreak occurred in a coop of about 20,000 turkeys in the village of Beit Halevi located in the Hefer Valley, the ministry said in a statement.
In response, the ministry quarantined all coops located within the 10 km boundary of the outbreak site and began active monitoring of all chicken farms in the area.
The ministry called on the public to purchase only labeled and packaged eggs, and suggested consumers well cook, bake, or fry eggs and chickens before eating.
In addition, poultry breeders were asked to keep birds indoors to prevent infection from wild birds.
Two previous bird flu outbreaks were detected at turkey farms in Israel last month. However, no epidemiological linkage was found between the three outbreaks. ■
