JERUSALEM, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Israel detected an outbreak of bird flu in the Shfela region, about 20 kilometers west of Jerusalem, the country's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development said in a statement on Wednesday.

       The pathogenic avian influenza was found in turkey coops in the village of Tzora which housed 10,500 birds.

       This is the third outbreak of bird flu in Israel since January, with the two previous cases being discovered in the north of the country in late September.

       Following the latest detection, the ministry quarantined all chicken coops within 10 kilometers of the infected ones and began monitoring them.

       The ministry also requested that ornamental bird breeders and coop owners house their animals indoors to reduce the risk of infection from wild birds during the migration season.

       It also urged the public to buy only packaged and labeled eggs from authorized sales places and to consume poultry and eggs only after they were thoroughly cooked, baked, or fried.

       The avian flu, which is highly contagious, can infect various animals, including cats, pigs, and even tigers, with rare instances of transmission to humans.

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