News item | 24-01-2022 | 06:49
In Grootschermer (municipality of Alkmaar, province of North Holland) bird flu (H5) has been diagnosed in broilers on a broiler farm. It is probably a highly pathogenic variant of bird flu. To prevent the virus from spreading, the approximately 170,000 animals on the farm in question are culled. The clearance is carried out by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
In the area of 1 kilometer around the infected company in Grootschermer, there is 1 other company, a care farm with laying poultry. This company is blocked, sampled for bird flu and intensively monitored daily for, among other things, the health of the animals. There are no other farms in the 3 kilometer zone around the infected farm, and 1 other poultry farm is located in the 10 kilometer zone around the infected farm. A transport ban applies immediately in this zone.
Transport ban
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. There is also a hunting ban in this area.
National measures
National measures still apply, such as a ban on visiting bird roosts of risk birds, unless absolutely necessary. Birds at risk include kept gallinaceous birds (such as chickens), waterfowl and ratites. See also the explanation of the scheme for more information.
The national storage and screening obligation is still in full force. The house keeping obligation applies to commercially kept birds, these are brought indoors (except pheasants and ratites). For non-commercially kept high-risk birds (fowls/chickens, (ornamental) waterfowl and ratites), for example in zoos, petting zoos and owners of birds and chickens, and for commercially kept pheasants, ornamental waterfowl and ratites, a shielding obligation applies. It must be prevented as much as possible that the birds come into contact with sick wild birds or their droppings. This can be done, for example, by keeping the animals in an aviary. On the website More information can be found from the NVWA about how this can best be done. A ban has also been imposed on the display of poultry, waterfowl and ratites.
Keepers of laying hens, breeding stock, broilers and ducks are still subject to a stricter reporting obligation. In this context, poultry farmers must report the loss of their poultry to the NVWA earlier, so that infections with bird flu can come to light earlier and the chance of spreading is reduced.
Tracking Investigation
In the context of the contamination at the Grootschermer company, a tracing investigation is being carried out into high-risk contacts, as is usual. In these investigations, the NVWA examines whether ‘risky contact’ has taken place between the infected company and other locations. A risky contact is, for example, when a visitor has been to an infected company, and then visited another company. If necessary, additional measures will be taken in response to the results of the investigation. Any additional measures will be reported in an update in this press release and via the online channels of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.