News item | 7/24/2023 | 22:01
In Biddinghuizen (municipality of Dronten, province of Flevoland), bird flu has been diagnosed on an organic laying hen farm. To prevent the virus from spreading, the approximately 11,000 laying hens at the location are being culled by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
There are no other poultry farms within the 1 kilometer zone. There are two other poultry farms in the 3-kilometre zone. The companies are screened and sampled for bird flu by the NVWA. There are 36 other companies with poultry in the 10-kilometre zone.
Minister Piet Adema (LNV):
This is very bad. Both for the animals that need to be culled and for this hardworking family.
Transport ban
A transport ban applies immediately within the 10-kilometre area. Where exactly this is can be seen on the animal disease viewer of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
A transport ban applies to all birds and hatching and consumption 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.
National measures
National measures apply, such as a ban on visiting bird habitats of birds at risk, unless this is absolutely necessary. Birds at risk include captive gallinaceous species (such as chickens), waterfowl and ratites.
Since July 6, the national confinement and protection obligation has been withdrawn in most regions in the Netherlands, including Biddinghuizen.
For farms within the 10-kilometre zone of the infected farm in Biddinghuizen, a shielding obligation applies to kept birds, and a penning obligation applies to commercially kept birds, with the exception of pheasants, ratites and ornamental waterfowl. These must be shielded.
Traceability investigation
In the context of the contamination at this location, a tracing investigation is carried out into high-risk contacts as usual. If necessary, additional measures will follow on the basis of 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).