News item | 05-03-2022 | 22:05
In Hekendorp (municipality of Oudewater, province of Utrecht) bird flu was diagnosed on a poultry farm with laying hens and hens reared for laying. It is probably a highly pathogenic variant. To prevent the virus from spreading, the approximately 121,000 chickens on the farm are culled by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
There are no other poultry farms in the 1 kilometer zone around the infected farm. Within the 3 kilometer zone there is one other poultry farm that is sampled by the NVWA for research into bird flu. Six other poultry farms are located in the 10 kilometer 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.
National measures
There are still national measures in place, such as a ban on visiting bird roosts of high-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, which are brought indoors (except for 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. 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
In the context of the contamination at the Hekendorp location, a tracing investigation is being carried out into high-risk contacts, as is usual. 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.