Netherlands reports new avian influenza outbreaks
1.8 million birds have been affected to day
25 April 2022
1 minute read
By: In an official statement, Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Henk Staghouwer provided an update on the current avian influenza situation in the country.
Last week, two new outbreaks were confirmed in Lunteren and Barneveld. Three more outbreaks occurred on April 19 and 20, one in Voorthuizen and two in Lunteren.
On April 21, a breeding company with ducks, also in Lunteren, turned out to be infected. What this means is that for the first time since the major outbreaks in 2003, there have been multiple outbreaks in the Gelderse Valley. In addition, there have been infections at a few locations with fewer than 50 birds.
Since October 2021, there have been a total of 54 outbreaks of avian influenza in the Netherlands. Since that time restricted zones have been established around 44 locations with more than 50 birds. A total of 41 commercial farms has been infected. More than 1.8 million animals on infected poultry farms have now been culled at infected locations. The number of preventively culled animals has so far been more than 350,000.
Melanie Epp
Melanie Epp is a freelance agricultural journalist from Ontario, Canada.
