News item | 08-02-2022 | 18:30
Bird flu was diagnosed on a small-scale farm in Hierden (Province of Gelderland). It is probably a highly pathogenic variant of bird flu. To prevent the virus from spreading, the approximately 250 laying hens at the location have been culled by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
It concerns a location in the 1 kilometer area of the company in Hierden that turned out to be infected last Wednesday. There are no other farms in the area of 1 kilometer around the infected location: there are three empty farms, and a laying hen farm that is blocked due to the previous contamination, sampled for bird flu and intensively monitored daily for, among other things, the health of the animals. There are no other poultry farms in the 3 kilometer zone around the infected farm. There are 21 companies in the 10 kilometer zone, for which the transport ban applies immediately.
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, 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.
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 house keeping obligation applies to commercially kept birds, these are brought indoors (except pheasants and ratites). A protection 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 commercially kept pheasants, ornamental waterfowl and ratites. on the website of the NVWA you can find more information about how this can best be done. 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 Hierden location, a tracing investigation is being conducted 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.