In Israel, migratory cranes contracted bird flu

An outbreak of bird flu has killed more than 5,000 migratory cranes in Israel, prompting authorities to declare the popular nature reserve closed to visitors and warn of a possible shortage of eggs as poultry is culled as a precaution.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met with his national security adviser and other experts to discuss measures to contain the outbreak and prevent it from spreading to people, REUTERS reported. So far, no human transmission of the virus has been reported, Bennett's office said.

"This is the worst blow to wildlife in the country's history," Environment Minister Tamar Zandberg tweeted as rangers harvested crane carcasses from a lake in the Hula Game Reserve and outlying swamps.

The authorities intend to loosen import quotas and import eggs from abroad to prevent shortages of eggs due to the culling of poultry.