Jordanian officials requested the meeting to explore Israeli preparations for a possible outbreak of the virus. Israeli and Jordanian veterinary service officials agreed to collaborate at an Israeli laboratory in Beit Dagan, said Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom.
Representatives from the two countries will meet again in three weeks to compare notes and evaluate their findings.
Although Israel will not be working directly with other Arab nations, Israeli officials said there would be indirect coordination of efforts through Jordan with most other Middle Eastern countries, including Syria and Iraq.
The deadly H5N1 strain has resulted in 67 deaths thus far, all in Asia. An international health alert was raised when the virus spread from Asia to Russia, Turkey, Romania and Kazakhistan.
Israeli health officials say that even though they do not expect the bird flu to pose a significant risk for most of the population, they have nonetheless made preparations to combat the virus. Inoculations of high-risk people have already begun, poultry farms and processing facilities are being closely monitored and plans are on the table to destroy fowl within a three-kilometer radius of any bird found infected with the flu.
Although watchful, many Israeli health practitioners say chances of a serious outbreak are low. Dr. Yuval Rabinovitch, medical director of Leumit's network of clinics in the Arad region, said in an interview on Thursday that "people are starting to lose their heads over this."
Rabinovitch explained, "First, Israel does not import chicken meat, because the local supply meets local demand. Second, risk is when people eat rare chicken meat, a conduct that is practically unheard of in Israel. Third, bird flu does not spread from one human to another. This can change, but so can the virulence of the virus."
Rabinovitch maintained that the media's interest in ratings accounts for much of the current panic. Nonetheless, he said, media spin is not necessarily a bad thing since it pushes people into the clinics to get the flu shot.
"The flu is the worst epidemic ever. It killed more people than plague and smallpox. In the 1918 epidemic the death toll was estimated as high as 50 million victims. It is a dangerous disease, period. It can kill and it has new forms every year. This year bird flu is much less contagious, but people should get vaccinated regardless of the spin."
Ultimately, he said, the decision on whether to inoculate should be up to a medical professional. "In the Israeli health system we have reached a very desirable situation. The system's goals are identical to the patient's, because a healthy patient pays his medical insurance for a long time. That is why you should listen to your physician rather than the journalist."
Representatives from the two countries will meet again in three weeks to compare notes and evaluate their findings.
Although Israel will not be working directly with other Arab nations, Israeli officials said there would be indirect coordination of efforts through Jordan with most other Middle Eastern countries, including Syria and Iraq.
The deadly H5N1 strain has resulted in 67 deaths thus far, all in Asia. An international health alert was raised when the virus spread from Asia to Russia, Turkey, Romania and Kazakhistan.
Israeli health officials say that even though they do not expect the bird flu to pose a significant risk for most of the population, they have nonetheless made preparations to combat the virus. Inoculations of high-risk people have already begun, poultry farms and processing facilities are being closely monitored and plans are on the table to destroy fowl within a three-kilometer radius of any bird found infected with the flu.
Although watchful, many Israeli health practitioners say chances of a serious outbreak are low. Dr. Yuval Rabinovitch, medical director of Leumit's network of clinics in the Arad region, said in an interview on Thursday that "people are starting to lose their heads over this."
Rabinovitch explained, "First, Israel does not import chicken meat, because the local supply meets local demand. Second, risk is when people eat rare chicken meat, a conduct that is practically unheard of in Israel. Third, bird flu does not spread from one human to another. This can change, but so can the virulence of the virus."
Rabinovitch maintained that the media's interest in ratings accounts for much of the current panic. Nonetheless, he said, media spin is not necessarily a bad thing since it pushes people into the clinics to get the flu shot.
"The flu is the worst epidemic ever. It killed more people than plague and smallpox. In the 1918 epidemic the death toll was estimated as high as 50 million victims. It is a dangerous disease, period. It can kill and it has new forms every year. This year bird flu is much less contagious, but people should get vaccinated regardless of the spin."
Ultimately, he said, the decision on whether to inoculate should be up to a medical professional. "In the Israeli health system we have reached a very desirable situation. The system's goals are identical to the patient's, because a healthy patient pays his medical insurance for a long time. That is why you should listen to your physician rather than the journalist."