Dutch authorities will cull about 45,000 animals at a laying-poultry farm in Groningen province after bird flu was confirmed, while transport controls seek to limit the virus’s spread.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) announced the outbreak Oct. 26 at a farm in Lutjegast, in Westerkwartier municipality. It said this is the Netherlands’ first outbreak since July.
The ministry established a three-kilometer-radius protection zone within a 10-kilometer surveillance zone. No other poultry farms are within three kilometers of the site, while 21 businesses are in the wider zone.
Poultry sites in the zone cannot move birds, hatching eggs or table eggs from their premises. The rules also bar removing poultry manure and used litter. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) will carry out the cull.
The NVWA is tracing contacts to determine whether poultry or products moved to or from the site before the case was reported. The ministry said authorities may take more samples or restrict farms identified as risky contacts.
Officials have not ordered poultry to be kept indoors at this stage. LVVN has requested a new assessment from the Deskundigengroep Dierziekten and said it is monitoring the situation.
