Israeli coops warned after Gaza bird flu outbreak

The Agriculture Ministry warns chicken coop owners in Gaza periphery communities of the risk of their fowl contracting bird flu, following an outbreak of the disease in the Gaza Strip.

According to Palestinian Authority reports, several farms breeding some 45,000 egg-laying chickens and other fowl are suspected of contamination in the virus.

The ministry instructs coop owners near the Gaza border fence to report any unusual chicken deaths in their farms and to seek approval when transferring birds from their coops. The Gaza periphery farms that received the warning are located mostly within 10 kilometers from the epicenter of the breakout in the Gaza Strip.

The Agriculture Ministry and the PA have increased coordination in preparing for battling the disease, with ministry officials and their Palestinian counterparts undergoing joint training on how to defeat the virus.

According to NRG, Israel gave the PA kits to identify the disease, as well as equipment to protect handlers and medicine to treat the disease. Additionally, Israel is allowing the PA to send samples for tests in the Beit Dagan Veterinary Institute, in order to predict future outbreaks in PA-controlled areas.