News release | 21-05-2021 | 21:23
Bird flu (H5) has been diagnosed at a turkey farm in Weert (province of Limburg). It is probably a highly pathogenic variant of bird flu. There is a laying hen farm within a radius of 1 kilometer around the company. To prevent the virus from spreading, the infected farm and the laying hen farm are cleared in the 1 kilometer zone. This concerns approximately 13,000 animals on the infected farm. There are 66,000 laying hens on the farm in the 1 kilometer zone. The culls are carried out by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
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There are 7 other poultry farms in the area of 3 kilometers around the infected company in Weert. These farms are sampled and tested for avian flu.
Transport ban
There are also 128 other poultry farms in the 10 kilometer zone around this company. Minister Schouten of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality has immediately declared a transport ban for poultry farms in this zone of 10 kilometers around the company in Weert. A transport ban covers poultry, eggs, poultry manure and used bedding, as well as other animals and animal products from farms with commercially kept poultry. Part of the 10 kilometer zone is located in Belgium. You can contact the Belgian authorities (Federal Agency for the safety of the food chain) for the measures that apply there.
Measures
National measures, such as the obligation to house commercially kept poultry, are still in force. Keepers of laying hens, breeding animals and broilers are subject to a stricter reporting obligation; they must report any loss of animals to the NVWA earlier. This allows bird flu infections to come to light earlier and reduces the risk of spreading it. Zoos, petting zoos and owners of hobby birds and chickens are also obliged to shield their poultry and waterfowl so that these animals do not come into contact with wild waterfowl and their excrement. This can be done, for example, by keeping the animals in an aviary or by housing them in a run. There is also a ban on the display of ornamental poultry and water birds.
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