Bird flu diagnosed at a poultry farm in Dalfsen | News item

News item | 02-08-2022 | 07:10

In Dalfsen (province of Overijssel) bird flu was diagnosed on a laying poultry farm in an organic barn with approximately 13,000 chickens. There are still four barns with approximately 95,000 free-range chickens at this location. It is probably a highly pathogenic variant. To prevent the spread of the virus, all chickens at the location are culled by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).

There is one other poultry farm in the 1 kilometer zone around the infected farm. This company had already been sampled in connection with two previous infections in Dalfsen and is also intensively monitored by the Animal Health Service for symptoms of disease that may indicate bird flu.

Four other poultry farms are located in the 3 kilometer zone around the infected farm. One of these is the infected duck farm that was culled on July 27, 2022 after the bird flu was diagnosed. The other three poultry farms had already been screened in connection with the previous two infections in Dalfsen and are already intensively monitored for disease symptoms that may indicate bird flu.

There are 24 other poultry farms in the 10 kilometer zone, two of which were culled due to the contamination on 31 July. A transport ban was already in place for the 22 other companies, because of the two previous infections in Dalfsen.

Confinement obligation

The company is located in a region where the confinement obligation was lifted on June 28. The infected company is already located in the restricted zone (10 km) of the two previous infections (Dalfsen I and II) for which a confinement obligation was imposed on July 27 and July 31, 2022. The restricted zone around the infected location largely overlaps with the restricted zones that have already been established. are set. For the new restricted zone of 10 km, on the basis of the area regulation, a confinement and screening obligation applies again.

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. In addition, hunting rules apply, for example in this area it is prohibited to hunt ducks or to hunt in areas where this could disturb waterfowl.

National measures

There are still national measures in place, such as a ban on visiting bird roosts of risk birds, unless this is absolutely necessary. Birds at risk include kept gallinaceous birds (such as chickens), waterfowl and ratites.

In a number of regions, the confinement and screening obligation is still in full force. In these regions the house keeping obligation applies to commercially kept birds, these are brought indoors (except pheasants, ornamental waterfowl and ratites). A screening obligation applies to 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. The NVWA website states: more information about the confinement and screening obligation. A ban has also been imposed on the display of poultry, waterfowl and ratites.

Traceability Investigation

As usual, in the context of the contamination at the Dalfsen location, a tracing investigation is being conducted into high-risk contacts. If necessary, additional measures are taken in response to the results of the investigation. These possible 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).

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