The transport ban for poultry will probably affect dozens of companies in Drenthe. That is what Piet Faber of the Poultry department of LTO Noord says. “Those companies are not allowed to bring in or transport animals, nor are they allowed to take manure. There are also restrictions for eggs, but that depends on the situation per company,” says Faber.
A transport ban was imposed on Friday in an area between the German border and Emmen. In principle, this applies for thirty days, although companies can request exceptions from the NVWA.
Due to the transport ban, the number of contacts between companies must be reduced, so that the flu virus cannot spread further. “We have had a lot of outbreaks since the end of October. Not only in the Netherlands, especially in France and Hungary. It causes a lot of inconvenience for poultry farmers and the animals. And it causes a lot of damage.”
This damage is greatest for companies that are cleared after an infection. “An average clearance easily costs half a million to a million euros. Not to mention the damage for companies that are not cleared but are limited,” says Faber.
The bird flu wave has been going on since October, and it’s been remarkably long. “It is almost as remarkable as a corona wave in the summer,” Faber says. “Apparently viruses can survive very well at the moment. We have never actually seen that in the past. Then we saw a revival of bird flu in the autumn and winter and in the spring it disappeared again. This year is clearly different.”
The bird flu virus originated in migratory birds from Siberia and China, but has now settled among wild birds. “And some stay here all year round.”
LTO Noord has long wanted a different approach to bird flu. “A transport ban is not the solution,” says Faber. “It is the solution to ensure that it does not spread further. But the solution is actually that you ventilate a stable with sterile air. Science does not yet have a clear answer to the question of how the virus can get into the stable.”
Ultimately, LTO Noord hopes that poultry can be vaccinated in order to reduce the presence of the virus.