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Non-notifiable bird flu has been confirmed on a poultry farm in Co Monaghan and three more farms are being investigated for the disease, a Department of Agriculture spokesperson has told the Irish Farmers Journal.
The low pathogenic bird flu of the H6N1 subtype has been identified in a commercial poultry flock in the county.
This subtype of bird flu is not a notifiable disease and has no known public health risk nor international trade implications.
“Movement of poultry and poultry products onto and from the farm were subject to restriction while an investigation into the disease episode was under way. Movement restrictions currently remain in place as a precautionary measure to mitigate against the spread of this disease to other locations.
“The Department will be liaising with the flock owner with a view to minimising the risk of disease spread from his farm,” the spokesperson said.
In addition to this flock, the Department is investigating three more flocks in the Monaghan area for bird flu.
“In these cases, the presenting clinical signs and preliminary laboratory results are such that low-pathogenic H6N1 is likely to be the disease agent involved,” the Department said.
The latest figures from Northern Ireland show there are 11 confirmed cases of the disease in NI poultry flocks.
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