# 4567
With the caveat that early reports are sometimes inaccurate or misleading, we’re seeing numerous reports coming out of TulKarm in the PA (Palestinian Authority) of an outbreak of bird flu.
At least two reports I’ve seen have referenced the hospitalization of several people, but details are scant, and without more data it is hard to know what to make of these reports.
FluTrackers has a thread were the latest reports are being translated and posted by their volunteer newshounds, and you can follow those reports here.
As you will see, we aren’t getting a lot of detail as yet on what is going on, and ProMed Mail issued an RFI (Request For Information) last night.
AVIAN INFLUENZA (28): PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY, WEST BANK, SUSPECTED, REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
*******************************************Date: Thu 13 May 2010
Source: The Marker [in Hebrew, trans. Mod.AS, edited]Bird flu has appeared in the Palestinian Authority [PA]. Following the death of numerous chickens in Tulkarm, the PA sent several dead birds to the laboratories of the Veterinary Services at Beit Dagan.
The lab investigation revealed the deadly avian influenza.
Israel's] Ministry of Agriculture Inspection Unit for Fauna and Flora, which carries the responsibility for the control upon animal and plant movements, has intensified its control upon the border crossings, gateways and passages between the West Bank and Israel to prevent smuggling of infected poultry.
The Director of Israel's Veterinary Services, Dr Moshe Haimovich, has urged the public to buy poultry and eggs only in regulated stores/enterprises.
Last week, the highly pathogenic avian influenza was discovered in the small children's zoo of Kibbutz Ein Gedi, where all avians were destroyed by the inspectors of the Services to prevent the spread of the epidemic.
[Byline: Amiram Cohen ]
This next report references hospitalizations, and comes from PoultryMed’s infectious diseases reports (h/t Dr. Nati Elkin, a poultry diseases specialist and the author of the PoultryMed website who posted it on the FluTrackers thread)
Palestinian authority: H5N1 in poultry in Tul Karm
13 May, 2010
An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) of the type H5N1 was found in poultry (broiler farm) in Tul Karm (Bal'a). Several people were also hospitalized.
The diagnosis was made by the Israeli Veterinary Institute. At the beginning of the week, several chicken farms in the village of Bal'a were quarantined due to a suspected outbreak of salmonella.
Last week, the highly pathogenic avian influenza was discovered in the small children's zoo of Kibbutz Ein Gedi, where all avians were destroyed by the inspectors of the Israeli Services to prevent the spread of the epidemic.
While the strain of avian flu is not specified, the inference here is that this is H5N1. Coming on the heels of a verified outbreak of H5 in neighboring Israel a week ago, this outbreak bears watching.
