‘Bird Button’ Project to Stop West Nile Spread

Jerusalem, 20 August, 2025 (TPS-IL) — Following an unusual outbreak of West Nile Virus last year, in both humans and birds, Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture is calling on the public to increase awareness and report any case of bird mortality in real time, at home or in public spaces, by pressing the “Bird Button.” Reports received through the “Bird Button” allow for monitoring of bird mortality and assessment of disease hotspots for the purpose of carrying out mosquito control and environmental treatment activities, which reduce human infection.

The Bird Button project is in its second year. Last year (2024), over 300 deaths were reported through the app. Since the beginning of the year (2025), 40 deaths of birds that were tested and found negative for the virus have been reported to the system. Most of the reported cases are in the Dan Bloc and the coastal plain. In birds, the disease mainly affects crows and pigeons. All information about the infected birds will be published on the Ministry of Agriculture website and made available to the public on an updated national map.

Birds serve as a reservoir for the West Nile virus. This virus is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes that have bitten infected birds. The disease is not transmitted to humans through direct contact with birds, and is not transmitted from person to person. Through reporting and testing, it is possible to locate outbreaks of West Nile fever throughout the country, and to transmit targeted information to the Ministries of Health and Environmental Protection, so that they can treat the area where the disease was discovered, and reduce morbidity among humans.