More than 2.000 cranes have died from bird flu in a large natural forest in northern Israel, the Israeli Nature and Parks Authority said today.
One-fifth of the cranes have been affected
"So far 2.000 cranes have died and an estimated 10.000 have been infected," said Ohad Hatsof, an ornithologist with the agency.
"We estimate that one-fifth of the crane population in Israel is affected by bird flu," said Uri Naweh, deputy director of science at the Department of Nature and Parks. Cases are recorded in Israel every year "but this year there are more" and the number of birds that have died since Monday is "unprecedented".
As of October, as every year, more than 100.000 cranes stop to rest in Israel, most in the Hula Valley in the north. About 40.000 spend the winter there and leave in March to return to their breeding grounds.
Other outbreaks of H5N1 bird flu, mainly in poultry, have been identified in rural communities in northern Israel. The Ministry of Agriculture announced today that the sale of eggs from these poultry farms is prohibited. Measures will be taken to import eggs to address any shortages.
Although the risk of transmitting avian influenza to humans is negligible, the H5N1 strain can be dangerous if it infects humans. "It is fatal for 36-50% of the people who will be infected," Hatsofe explained.
Source RES-EIA