In Nahalal, located in the Jezreel Valley of Israel, a serious case of H5N1 bird flu has been identified in a flock of turkeys. Approximately 24,000 turkeys, aged 16 weeks, died unusually before they could be marketed. This incident occurred across five poultry houses. The Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security confirmed the bird flu after testing samples in their laboratories.
This marks the 14th case of bird flu in commercial poultry houses during the current flu season. Nahalal has experienced similar cases recently, with another outbreak last week and one in September 2024.
To prevent further spread, the Ministry is following guidelines from the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH). A quarantine zone has been established within a 10 km radius of the affected area, restricting poultry movement and enforcing strict biosecurity measures. The Ministry's veterinary services are actively monitoring all poultry houses in the region.
The Ministry advises breeders of ornamental birds and poultry farms to keep their birds indoors to minimize the risk of infection from wild birds, especially during the migration season.
Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is a type of flu that affects birds. It can sometimes spread to humans and other animals, but it mostly affects birds like chickens and turkeys.
Nahalal is a place in Israel. It's a village where this bird flu outbreak happened.
H5N1 is a specific type of bird flu virus. It's known to be very dangerous for birds and can sometimes affect humans too.
A quarantine zone is an area where movement is restricted to prevent the spread of disease. In this case, it's used to stop the bird flu from spreading to other places.
Biosecurity measures are actions taken to protect against the spread of diseases. This can include cleaning, controlling who enters and leaves a farm, and keeping animals indoors.
Poultry breeders are people who raise birds like chickens and turkeys for food. They have to be careful to keep their birds healthy, especially during outbreaks like this.
Migration is when birds travel from one place to another, usually during certain seasons. Wild birds can carry diseases like bird flu when they migrate.
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