News item | 20-04-2022 | 07:00
In Lunteren (Province of Gelderland) bird flu H5 was diagnosed on two poultry farms with laying hens. It is probably a highly pathogenic variant. To prevent the virus from spreading, the approximately 280,000 chickens on the infected farms are culled.
Five other poultry farms are located in the 1 kilometer zone around infected farms. These companies are being removed as a precaution to prevent spreading to the surrounding companies. These companies are located in a poultry-dense area. If preventive culling is not carried out, the contamination in this area can quickly spread to surrounding companies. The clearances are carried out by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
Within the 3 kilometer zone are 52 other poultry farms that are sampled by the NVWA for research into bird flu. In addition, these farms will be intensively monitored over the next 14 days for symptoms of disease that may indicate bird flu. Some of the companies in the 3 kilometer zone have already been included in the sampling and monitoring after the contamination in Barneveld of 15 April 2022.
There are 232 other poultry farms in the 10-kilometre zone, and the transport ban applies to this zone with immediate effect. A large part of these companies are located in the zone for which a transport ban was previously announced after the infections in Lunteren of April 12, 2022 and Barneveld of April 15, 2022.
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.
Since the contamination of a poultry farm in Voorthuizen on April 19, 2022, a transport ban has also been in place for high-risk birds in the ‘region 7’ Gelderse Vallei Noord (see the RVO). animal disease viewer for the region concerned) and in addition a transport ban for risk birds for ‘region 10’ Gelderse Vallei Zuid that had already been imposed after the contamination in Barneveld on 15 April 2022. The transport ban for risk birds in ‘region 7’ and ‘region 10’ applies , under strict conditions, an exception for transport to slaughter and the transport of day-old chicks.
In addition, additional rules apply to hunting, for example in this area it is forbidden to hunt ducks or to hunt in areas where this could disturb waterfowl.
Advice Expert Group Animal Diseases
With the contamination of the laying companies in Lunteren, there are now five infections in this region in two weeks. While until now infections were probably caused by contamination from wild water birds, the question is how these recent infections in the Gelderse Vallei came about. This is a poultry-dense area with relatively few waterfowl. Minister Staghouwer has therefore asked the Expert Group Animal Diseases to explain the situation and whether additional measures are possible to limit further spread.
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.
The national confinement and screening obligation is also still in full force. The confinement obligation applies to commercially kept birds, these are brought indoors (except pheasants, ornamental waterfowl 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. More information about how this can best be done can be found on the NVWA website. A ban has also been imposed on the display of poultry, waterfowl and ratites.
Tracking Investigation
As usual, in the context of the contamination at the locations in Lunteren, a tracing investigation is being 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 in an update in this press release and via the online channels of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.