Gaza: Palestinian authorities will begin destroying chickens today at a farm near the border with Israel in a bid to contain an outbreak of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, Palestinian medics said yesterday.
The culling of hundreds of chickens at the farm near the southern Gaza city of Rafah will be the first in Gaza. Tests were under way at another chicken farm in central Gaza where authorities suspect the virus may have spread.
Many worried Palestinians have reacted to the outbreak by buying more fish and beef, sending prices in Gaza markets soaring.
Chicken and egg prices have sharply dropped over fears by Gazans that they could be infected.
Health officials say it is safe to eat chicken and eggs that are properly cooked.
Israel plans to give Palestinian authorities enough poison to eliminate birds suspected of being infected, Israel Radio reported.
Israel has for months been testing dead fowl found in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.
Palestinian medics said they have received protective gear from Israel to help them deal with the virus. There have been no confirmed cases of the virus infecting humans in Gaza or the West Bank.
Many Gazans fear the Palestinian Ministry of Health is ill equipped to deal with an outbreak and will quickly be overwhelmed if the virus spreads. Israel is likewise concerned.
Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has asked UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the World Bank president for help in containing the outbreak in Gaza.
Bird flu can infect people who come into close contact with infected poultry and has killed about 100 people since late 2003.
Experts fear the virus will mutate into a form that passes easily from person to person, sparking a pandemic in which millions could die and which could cripple the global economy.
Cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority has become rare as Hamas prepares to swear in its government after winning elections. This complicates coordinating preventive measures.
