The outbreak of bird flu on Jæren may have spread to another farm.
It confirms The Norwegian Food Safety Authority to NRK.
– We have tied up the farm. And we are now working to get a decision from the farmer on the destruction, killing and decontamination of the herd, says Lise Petterson, regional director in the south and west region at the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, to NRK.
There are 7,500 chickens that must now be killed, according to Petterson.
Introduced curfew
Last week proved The Norwegian Food Safety Authority an outbreak of bird flu in a commercial poultry farm for the first time in Norway.
The outbreak was discovered on a farm on Klepp on Jæren in Rogaland, and all chickens on the farm were killed, according to the Norwegian Food Safety Authority. There were also 7,500 chickens.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority then introduced a curfew for all birds and poultry in 15 municipalities in the area.
The curfew means that all poultry and other birds in captivity in this area must be kept indoors, possibly under a tight roof.
The flu virus may have spread to the neighboring farm, suspects the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
– Serious situation
On Tuesday morning, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority was notified of increased mortality among hens on the neighboring farm. The bird flu suspect.
The farms are located by a nature reserve, and Pettersen in the Norwegian Food Safety Authority describes the situation as serious.
– We know there is infection in the area in the wild bird population and we work with infection tracking, Petterson says to NRK, and adds:
– It is very important that we handle infection control and infection measures now, she says.
Disease among wild birds
The leader of the Norwegian Poultry Association, Margrete Brantsæter, says that the poultry farms in the vicinity of the outbreaks must comply with strict restrictions to limit the infection.
– The Norwegian Food Safety Authority, the Veterinary Institute and many actors in agriculture cooperate and do everything we can to reduce further infection. Disease has been detected among wild birds in Rogaland, so we know it is circulating in the area, Brantsæter writes in an email to Dagbladet.
She writes that both large and small poultry farms must be extra careful with the infection control measures in the time to come.
– In the extreme consequence, the outbreak of bird flu can lead to a shortage of Norwegian-produced eggs and poultry meat, Brantsæter writes.
However, this is not the case today.
Brantsæter encourages people who see savages who behave strangely or lie dead in nature, to notify the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
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