News item | 05-11-2025 | 16:10
In Born, municipality of Sittard-Geleen, province of Limburg, bird flu has been diagnosed at an animal park. To prevent the spread of the virus, infected animals at the location are culled by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
No transport ban
An extensive number of species of birds and other animals live at the location. Under European regulations, it is possible to deviate from the obligation to cull all animals at a contaminated location if it concerns animals of high cultural or educational value. In this case, culling all birds present is not proportional. That is why we carefully look at which animals are and are not culled. Birds that are not culled are kept separate and tested again at a later time. All birds present must also be shielded from the public for a period of three weeks. No restriction zones are established around the contaminated location. There is therefore no transport ban in the area.
National measures
In the Netherlands, a national cage and shielding obligation has been in place since October 16, 2025. The cage obligation applies to all commercially kept birds and the shielding obligation applies to non-commercially kept risk birds (for example chickens kept as a hobby).