Bird flu at poultry farm in Wingene

To prevent further spread of the virus, the birds and poultry present have been culled. A protection zone of 3 km and a security zone of 10 km are established around the fireplace. These zones partly overlap with the zones that were already demarcated after the detection of an earlier contamination in Beernem. Anyone who notices symptoms in his poultry or birds should consult a veterinarian.

Severe bird flu season

The FASFC expects a heavy bird flu season due to the situation with wild birds. Federal Agriculture Minister David Clarinval has therefore decided to reintroduce the screening obligation – keeping the animals indoors or placing them under nets – for all registered poultry farms. These are all commercial establishments, but also the hobby owners registered in Sanitel. This measure will take effect from Wednesday 5 October.

Private keepers are advised by the FASFC to protect their poultry as much as possible, although it is no longer mandatory since 14 May. This can be done by pre-emptively spanning the run to avoid contact with wild birds. Feeding the animals should still be compulsory indoors anyway, and watering is preferably also protected, it says.

Hikers who notice a dead wild bird are asked to report it to the toll-free number 0800/99 777.