Avian influenza reported on Dutch broiler farm
The outbreak impacted 63,000 broilers in the province of Friesland
10 December 2024
2 minute read
By: The Ministry of Agriculture in The Netherlands (LVVN) reported that bird flu has been diagnosed on a broiler farm in Blija in the province of Friesland, according to a news release from AVINED Foundation.
The more than 63,000 chickens at the location have been removed. There is another poultry farm in the one-kilometre zone. This company has been tested for the presence of the bird flu virus and will be intensively monitored for 14 days. Within the 3-kilometre zone are two other poultry farms that are being screened by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
There are an additional 10 poultry farms in the 10-kilometre zone.
A transport ban applies immediately in the entire 10-kilometer zone. This means that poultry and hatching and consumption eggs may not be transported from locations with birds in this zone. There is also a ban on the disposal of manure from birds and used litter, and on other animals and animal products from farms with birds.
Since November 20, 2024, a shed and shielding obligation has been in force in the Netherlands. The hoad obligation applies to all commercially kept birds and the shielding obligation applies to non-commercially kept risk birds (e.g. hobby-kept chickens). The shielding and storage obligation is an effective preventive measure to prevent new infections, because the risk of contact between wildly infected birds and kept birds is reduced.
The NVWA conducts a tracing investigation into risky contacts at this location. If necessary, additional measures will follow as a result of the investigation.
