Israel plans emergency response to bird flu

Xinhuanet | October 10, 2005

Israel has geared up for possible bird flu outbreaks with a comprehensive emergency plan, local newspaper Ha'aretz reported on Monday.

If bird flu is discovered, all the poultry within a radius of three kilometers of the case will be culled, and poultry within a radius of 10 kilometers will be given a special vaccine against the flu as soon as the first positive case is found, officials from health and agriculture ministries said.

Israel is on alert after cases of avian flu have been reported in Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia, and more recently in Romania and Turkey, and has set up a special team to deal with any outbreak.

The Health Ministry has acquired a "vaccine bank" containing serums useful against the H-7 and H-10 strains of the virus, said Ha'aretz, adding that these mildly potent strains are able to turn into virulent mutations.

Special protective kits including protective clothing, vaccinations and medications have also been prepared for doctors who will deal with the virus.

The veterinary services have also set up a special infrastructure to handle the examination of birds that are suspected of carrying the virus.

Avian flu has many strains and so far 15 have been identified.

Experts believe new strains are likely to develop from those existing ones.

The H5N1 strain of the flu has killed 65 people and millions of birds worldwide since its first outbreak in Asia in 2003.

While it has been proven that avian flu passes from birds to humans, it is not yet clear whether the virus can be transmitted directly among humans.

Experts fear that the H5N1 strain could mutate and spawn a human flu pandemic that could kill millions.

It is believed that the great flu pandemic of 1918 that killed 50 million people was caused by a strain of avian flu that mutated and spread among humans. Enditem

Last modified October 10, 2005