The Agriculture Ministry has announced that it has identified two additional chicken farms (in Moshav Ram-On in the Gilboa region) that have been stricken with avian influenza.
One of the farms has around 35 thousand chickens; the other has around 27 thousand. The government's veterinary services are now operating on an emergency footing to monitor the situation and isolate the affected areas.
The Ministry meanwhile has reiterated its instructions to the general public regarding the risks posed by contaminated chickens and eggs and has warned people to avoid coming into contact with all types of fowl. If someone suspects that he has been in contact with an infected fowl, he should call the Ministry's hotline: *6016.