TESTS NEGATIVE
The Israeli Health Ministry said four people suspected of having bird flu had
tested negative for the virus.
Two Israeli farms were confirmed on Friday to have infected poultry after
thousands of turkeys and chickens died. Tests are being carried out on another
two farms where H5N1 is suspected.
Israeli officials said poultry in the infected areas and their surroundings
would be culled and the carcasses buried in underground pits.
In a rare act of cooperation, Israel was also testing dead fowl found in the
West Bank and Gaza on behalf of the Palestinian Authority to try to control the
spread of the virus.
Serbia on Friday said three children and a teenager from a bird flu affected
area were in hospital after developing fever and flu-like symptoms.
Three women who died in Azerbaijan are also thought to be bird flu victims,
but the WHO is awaiting the results of further tests before confirming the cause
of death.
Bird flu has shaken poultry markets around the world as consumers have lost
their appetites for chicken, with some countries reporting a drop in sales of up
to 70 percent.
The EU banned poultry imports from Israel after the discovery of H5N1 there,
the EU's executive Commission said.