JERUSALEM, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- Israel on Monday reported the second H5N1 bird flu outbreak of the season at commercial poultry farms in Moshav Nahalal in the northern region, affecting 8,000 turkeys.
Israel's Agriculture and Food Security Ministry said the latest outbreak follows a previous one in early January at a duck breeding site in Sadeh Yaakov, approximately five km from Nahalal.
The ministry has established a 10-km quarantine zone around the affected site, urging owners of ornamental birds, backyard poultry, and free-range flocks to keep their flocks indoors. The public is advised to purchase poultry and eggs only from regulated retailers.
It added that fattening turkeys are "the most sensitive birds," and infection in a commercial coop can cause rapid mortality spreading across the entire farm in "just a few hours."
In 2025, 16 outbreaks of bird flu were reported in Israel, with Moshav Nahalal accounting for four of them.
According to the World Health Organization, H5N1 is a subtype of the influenza virus that infects birds and mammals, including humans in rare instances.
The Israeli authority noted that the virus is mainly spread by migratory birds, and contact with infected wild birds can lead to outbreaks in commercial poultry. ■
