Israel confirmed yesterday that the H5N1 strain of bird flu had been detected in two more locations in southern Israel, bringing the total number of infected sites to six, local newspaper Ha'aretz reported.

The Israeli Agriculture Ministry made the announcement one day after it confirmed that the lethal H5N1 strain of avian flu led to the deaths of thousands of turkeys in southern Israel last week.

The ministry said that the two communities-- Nir Oz and Amir Oz-- in western Negev desert in southern Israel, were located close to the communal farms where bird flu was first found.

The ministry said that the H5N1 virus was blamed for the deaths of poultry there. The two communities have been ordered to cull thousands of birds.

Israel has been the latest country hit by the deadly virus, which has killed some 100 people worldwide in the last few years and is spreading rapidly across the world.

Experts fear that the disease, currently jumping from birds to humans through close contact, might mutate into a form that can easily pass among humans, leading to a global pandemic.