J'lem man tested for possible avian flu

Many of his chickens have died in the past few days; patient kept isolated.

By AP, JPOST.COM STAFF
bird flu 88 (photo credit: )
bird flu 88
(photo credit: )
An east Jerusalem man who was admitted to a local hospital with flu symptoms late Monday is being tested for possible avian flu, the hospital said. The man owns chickens, a few of which died in the past few days, so doctors at Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital decided to test the man's blood for possible avian flu, said Ron Krumer, a hospital spokesman. Results from the blood samples, which are being tested both at the hospital and at the Health Ministry, were not yet available. The man was being kept in isolation, the hospital said. The H5N1 strain of bird flu has killed at least 79 people worldwide. The disease has spread in Turkey in the past few days. Turkish officials on Monday extended the culling of poultry across the country, the Reuters news service reported. Turkish authorities have culled 600,000 wild birds and poultry to try to contain the crisis, the news service said. So far, 19 people have tested positive for H5N1 in Turkey, including three children who died last week in eastern Turkey, authorities said.