Israel finds case of severe H5N8 bird flu, sounds all-clear

PARIS (Reuters) - Israel has reported a case of the highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu virus in a wild bird, the Paris-based World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Wednesday, citing a report from Israel's agriculture ministry. Contacted by Reuters, a spokeswoman for the ministry confirmed the case, saying it was isolated and contained. The virus was detected in a wild owl in Jerusalem that died after showing clinical symptoms, the OIE said on its website. "This was a migratory rather than a domesticated bird. We were of course obligated to report it, but it is not a cause for worry. When such a virus affects domesticated fowls, that's a different matter," the ministry spokeswoman said. Asked whether there was any indication that the bird flu had spread beyond the owl, she said: "Absolutely not." (Reporting by Gus Trompiz and Dan Williams; Editing by Dale Hudson and Susan Fenton)