O 041338Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4863
INFO DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC
DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
AMCONSUL JERUSALEM

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 000033 
 
SIPDIS 
 
INTERIOR PASS FISH AND WILDLIFE 
USDA FOR APHIS AND FAS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KFLU TBIO EAGR ETRD USTR IS KWBG
SUBJECT: AVIAN INFLUENZA CONFIRMED AT PETTING ZOO 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY:  On January 3, 2008 the Israeli Veterinary and Animal 
Health Services (IVAHS) in cooperation with the Ministry of 
Agriculture (MOA) confirmed Avian Influenza (H5N1) in birds at a 
Binyamina kindergarten petting zoo in North-Central Israel. 
Currently, there is no indication that any humans have contracted 
the disease. The chairman of the Public Health Services says that 
the Ministry of Health (MOH) continues to examine the source of the 
outbreak.  The MOH announced that there is no risk in continuing to 
eat chicken and eggs.  This is the first case of confirmed H5N1 in 
poultry since the initial outbreak of Avian Influenza in Israel in 
March 2006.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) Of the 32 birds at the petting zoo (20 chickens, 8 ducks, and 
4 pigeons), 18 chickens were found dead on the morning of January 
3rd.  The remaining birds were culled by the Israeli Veterinary 
Service which ran epidemiological tests at the Beit Dagan Veterinary 
Institute to confirm H5N1. 
 
¶3. (U) The initial discovery was made by a kindergarten teacher who 
called a veterinarian.  Neither the kindergarten staff nor the 
children have been given preventive medicine since they did not come 
in direct contact with the birds. Ten to twelve 
veterinarians-including the caretaker of the petting zoo-who all had 
direct contact with the infected birds, were given tamiflu as a 
precautionary measure.  The hospitals in the area have been alerted 
to look for anyone reporting flu-like symptoms; however, there is no 
indication that any humans have contracted the disease. One child 
who attends the kindergarten was hospitalized in Hadera, near 
Binyamina, with a bronchial infection, but not bird flu. 
 
¶4. (U) In order to prevent the spread of infection, all poultry 
within three kilometers of the infected site will be destroyed.  MOA 
has put all poultry coops and hatcheries within a ten-kilometer 
radius under quarantine.  Poultry flocks within this radius will be 
monitored and undergo active surveillance for signs of disease. 
Removal of poultry from the areas under quarantine is prohibited. 
MOA officials are monitoring traffic and inspecting vehicles on the 
main roads leading from Binyamina and all side roads are closed to 
prevent smuggling. All laboratory tests that have been sent to Beit 
Dagan from poultry houses within the three-kilometer radius have 
been negative for signs of avian flu thus far. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Within the three-kilometer radius, there are two farms that 
house grand-parent stock of turkey.  This is the first generation, 
and the most sensitive, expensive and difficult to replace in the 
line of production.  Culling this stock could cause a shortage of 
turkey meat in 12-18 months.  For these reasons, special 
dispensation has been granted to these two farms within the 
3-kilometer radius.  Rather than culling the birds immediately, they 
will be tested every 72 hours for H5N1, until it is determined that 
they are no longer a threat for Avian Influenza. There was also a 
small flock (2600) within the 3-kilometer radius of "table egg 
layer" chickens that were culled even though they tested negative 
for H5N1. 
 
¶6. (U) The MOA is responsible, by law, to compensate coop owners 
whose poultry is destroyed.  According to press reports, the 
chicken-growers feel that the current amount of compensation offered 
is inadequate to completely re-stock, and have asked for an increase 
of at least 25%. 
 
¶7. Post will continue to monitor the situation closely. 
 
MORENO