News item | 05-10-2022 | 21:11
In Wildervank (municipality of Veendam, province of Groningen) bird flu was diagnosed on an organic laying poultry farm. To prevent the spread of the virus, the approximately 14740 chickens at the location are culled by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
There is also a second poultry farm in the yard with 3600 laying hens. That is also cleared, because there is a very real chance that it is also infected. Both companies have already been intensively monitored by the Animal Health Service (GD), because they are 100 meters away from a poultry farm where bird flu was diagnosed on September 29.
Within the 1-kilometre zone of the organic poultry farm that is now infected, there is one other poultry farm. The animals on this farm are examined by the NVWA and intensively monitored by GD for 14 days.
There are 6 poultry farms in the 3 kilometer zone, which are also examined for bird flu by the NVWA. There are 22 poultry farms in the 10 kilometer zone around the infected farm. Strict measures were already in place in this area, including a confinement obligation, screening obligation and a transport ban.
National measures
A transport ban applies to all birds and hatching and table eggs from a location with birds. The ban also applies to bird manure and used litter, and to other animals and animal products from poultry farms. In addition, rules apply to hunting. For example, in this area it is prohibited to hunt ducks or to hunt in areas where this could disturb waterfowl. You can see exactly where this is in the Animal Diseases viewer of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). (Animal disease crisis | RVO.nl)
Traceability Investigation
As usual, in the context of the contamination at this location, a tracing investigation is carried out into high-risk contacts. If necessary, additional measures will be taken in response to the results of the investigation. Any additional measures will be reported via an update in this press release and via the online channels of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV).