ISRAEL: Israelis dedicated to the study of birds take protective measures against the spread of avian flu

Record ID: 398470

  • Title: ISRAEL: Israelis dedicated to the study of birds take protective measures against the spread of avian flu
  • Date: 2nd November 2005
  • Summary: (W3) LATRUN, CENTRAL ISRAEL (OCTOBER 27, 2005) (REUTERS) VIEW OF BIRDS RADAR IN ISRAEL'S ORNITHOLOGICAL CENTRE; RUSSIAN GENERAL LEONID DINEVICH, WHO BROUGHT RADAR TO ISRAEL, ENTERING RADAR'S CARAVAN; DINEVICH OPERATING RADAR; CLOSE OF COMPUTER SCREEN SHOWING MIGRATION (SOUNDBITE) (English) ORNITHOLOGIST DOCTOR YOSSI LESHEM, FROM TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY, SAYING: "Basically, m
  • Embargoed: 17th November 2005 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Israel
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Nature / Environment
  • Reuters ID: LVABB5HEFX1BES0GZ9JH57HGKSGH
  • Story Text: Migratory birds moved into Israel's northern nature reserve before winter after nesting in Siberia, posing a potential risk of spreading avian flu to the Middle East. International scientists said the discovery of bird flu in Romania and Turkey supported the theory that the deadly virus is being spread by migrating wildfowl and experts in Israel say the region, a crossroads of Asia, Africa and Europe, serves as a stopover for more than half a billion migrating birds per year.
    "This park is probably one of the best stopover sight for birds migrate from eastern Europe and central Asia to Africa. Millions of birds stop here, some of them for one day, some of them for few months, some of them stay here for the entire winter, like the cranes you can see right now, flying over us. This is perhaps the best oversight in this corridor," said Dan Alon, Director of the Emek Hahula nature reserve in northern Israel.
    Ever since the discovery in July that H5N1 bird flu, which has killed more than 60 people in Asia, had spread to birds in Siberia, experts have feared that migratory wildfowl would bring the virus westwards.
    Emek Hahula, Hahula valley, is known for its swamps and ponds that nest wildfowl, including geese, cranes and storks en route to Africa for winter season.
    "Many of these birds flying between the Caspian sea and the Black sea, they cross Turkey, they cross Syria and Lebanon and then they all get into Israel. Israel is a bottle neck where half a billion birds crossing every year, and then after Israel they split through the Sahara, to Africa where they (nest in) winter," Alon said.
    H5N1 is particularly deadly for chickens and can wipe out a flock within hours. But wild water-birds such as ducks and geese can harbour the virus for long periods, most of the time showing no symptoms or becoming ill. Whilst any bird can in theory become infected, wildfowl are the primary carriers, and many species fly south from Siberia seeking warmer climes at the onset of winter, scientists say.
    What scares experts most is that the virus could mutate and pass easily between humans -- possibly sparking a pandemic to rival the killer global flu outbreaks of the last century.
    Israeli Health Minister Danny Naveh said if there is a case of bird flu in Israel, all fowl within a 3 km (2 mile) radius will be destroyed. Other birds would be inoculated. Palestinian Agriculture Minister Walid Abed Rabbo said the Palestinian Authority had stopped the import of all birds and bird products, but agreed that migrating birds also posed a risk.
    Israeli ornithological research includes several ringing stations across the country, set as a staging post for many tired migrants, increasing their chances to survive the onward journeys.
    In Kfar Rupin station in northern Israel, a group of English explorers, accompanied by an Israeli ornithologist, ring dozens of birds per day and conduct scientific measurements to study migration patterns and habits. The group that for the past eight years has been coming to Israel during autumn, study birds in various locations in northern Israel.
    The ringing process consists of several steps, including a loose bending of aluminium rings around the birds legs, gender identification, wing weight and temperature measurements, and evaluation of the fat level which helps to predict readiness for departure.
    Each ring provides a serial number and an address of the bird's native land, which is used as an "identity card" for further migration study.
    Elsewhere, located in the heart of Israel's Armoured Corps Museum of Latrun, the International Centre for the Study of Bird Migration provides satellite technology for mapping birds location, migration routes, breeding and wintering sites.
    The centre's green radar, brought to Israel by Russian General Leonid Dinevich and transformed from weather to birds detector, enables scientists to receive real time information every ten minutes. Ornithologists say the research may also provide information on the avian flu and other issues concerning human health.
    The project, sponsored by the Defence Ministry, also helps the Israeli air force to prevent severe collisions by identifying big birds approaching military aircraft below 3,000 feet.
    Under the global threat of Avian flu, Israeli ornithologists say they have prepared for the possible outbreak of the fatal flu, but contend it is an unlikely scenario.
    "Basically most of the flu is in domestic fowls like chicken and turkey, and so on. It might be that the migrating birds are the ones that are bringing, we know that they have different influenza, they bring some diseases the birds, like also the vast Nile virus and so on, so we have to be careful," said Doctor Yossi Leshem, of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Tel Aviv University.
    "We are preparing of course to check in order to see if they carry (avian flu virus) and if they do, to try and prevent connection between birds and chicken. But at the moment we don't see any problem," added ornithologist Dan Alon.

    Bird migration routes ran across Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, Georgia, Ukraine, Africa and some Mediterranean countries, where international scientists have warned outbreaks were possible.
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