News item | 21-04-2022 | 07:00
In Lunteren (Province of Gelderland) bird flu H5 was diagnosed on a duck farm. It is probably a highly pathogenic variant. To prevent the virus from spreading, the approximately 3,000 ducks on the infected farm are culled by the NVWA.
In the 1 kilometer zone around the infected farm, there are 8 other poultry farms, including a hatchery. With the exception of the hatchery, the farms are being culled as a precaution to avoid spreading to the surrounding farms. These companies are located in a poultry-dense area. If preventive culling is not carried out, the contamination can quickly spread to surrounding companies in this area. The clearances are carried out by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). The 7 farms in the 1 kilometer zone that are being culled preventively have a total of approximately 145,370 animals. These numbers are based on registration systems. Definitive numbers may differ in practice.
There are 32 other poultry farms within the 3 kilometer zone that are screened for bird flu by the NVWA. In addition, these companies 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 are already being monitored after the contamination in Barneveld on 15 April 2022.
There are 254 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 and Barneveld.
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 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, which had already been imposed after the contamination in Barneveld on April 15, 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 this duck farm in Lunteren, there are now 6 infections in this region in 2 weeks. Minister Staghouwer has asked the Expert Group on Animal Diseases to explain the situation and whether additional measures are possible to limit the further spread of the virus.
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. As a result of the infections, the visitor arrangement will be adjusted and additional transport restrictions will be imposed on companies with risk birds in regions 10 and 7.
The national confinement and screening obligation is also still in full force. The confinement obligation applies to commercially kept birds, which are brought indoors (except for pheasants, ornamental waterfowl 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 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 via an update in this press release and via the online channels of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV).