News item | 12-04-2022 | 21:32
Bird flu was diagnosed on a duck farm in Lunteren (Province of Gelderland). It is probably a highly pathogenic variant. To prevent the virus from spreading, the approximately 8,500 ducks on the infected farm are being culled. The clearance is carried out by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
Three other poultry farms are located in the 1 kilometer zone around the infected farm. These farms will be blocked, sampled and intensively monitored in the coming days for, among other things, the health of the animals. There are 49 other poultry farms within the 3 kilometer zone, which are sampled. Two of these 49 companies from the 3 kilometer zone that fall just outside the 1 kilometer zone will also be intensively monitored. There are also 235 other poultry farms in the 10-kilometre zone, and the transport ban applies to this zone with immediate effect.
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.
Although the infected company is located in a poultry dense area, there will be no transport ban in the ‘region 10’ Gelderse Vallei Zuid, as there was before. Because a transport ban has been in place in this area since 10 March in connection with two previous outbreaks in Lunteren, the risk of spreading from this infected company to companies within region 10 is small.
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 Lunteren 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.