Bird flu diagnosed in Woltersum, more than 50,000 chickens culled

Bird flu has been diagnosed at a laying hen company in Woltersum (Groningen), the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) reports. About 53,000 chickens are culled.

There is one other poultry farm in a zone of 3 kilometers around the company. That company will be sampled for bird flu. Thirteen companies are located in a zone of 10 kilometers around the infected company. A transport ban applies to them with immediate effect.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, it seems that bird flu has become a structural problem. The disease occurs throughout the year in the Netherlands, making it a “permanent threat to poultry farming”. Discussions are therefore being held with the sector for solutions for the longer term.

Animal rights organizations last week sent a letter to the permanent committee on Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality. The organizations denounce the “wrong approach” of the government. They think it is unfair that more than 1.4 million chickens, chicks, ducks and turkeys have been gassed and destroyed in the past four months and want a switch to vaccination against bird flu in the animals in the short term.