JERUSALEM, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli Ministry of Agriculture on Tuesday reported an outbreak of bird flu in a coop housing 29,300 chickens in the village of Hibat Tzion in central Israel.

To curb the spread of the disease, all chicken coops within a 10-km radius of the affected area were placed under quarantine and are being closely monitored.

The ministry advised bird breeders to keep their flocks indoors and recommended that the public buy eggs from regulated sources with proper packaging and ensure poultry and eggs are thoroughly cooked.

Also on Tuesday, dead birds infected with bird flu were found in Israel's largest artificial lake, located in an ecological park in the southern city of Ashkelon.

The Israeli Health Ministry said in a statement that the birds tested positive for the H5N1 bird flu strain, which mainly affects animals but can infect humans in rare cases.

The ministry noted that it has launched an epidemiological investigation to identify people who were near the birds, in order to provide them with preventive treatment.

As a precaution, the ministry, together with the Agriculture Ministry and the Ashkelon Municipality, decided to close the park until further notice while they assess the extent of the infection. Enditem

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