There have been 8,000 birds culled on a turkey premises near Kells, Co Meath, as authorities scramble to contain the second outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu confirmed in a commercial poultry flock this week.
It is understood that the premises is home to approximately 28,800 birds and that all remaining birds on the site are to be culled.
The effort follows the culling of over 3,000 turkeys on a farm in Co Carlow earlier this week after the virus was detected there.
Both outbreaks were investigated by lab-testing samples taken from the flocks after “sudden increased mortality” had been observed.
The Department of Agriculture has warned that there remains a “significant risk of further outbreaks” and reminded poultry keepers that “strict biosecurity is a mandatory requirement” on their holdings.
Housing order
A compulsory housing order for all captive birds was announced by Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon on Wednesday – which is due to take effect from next Monday – in a bid to curb any resurgence of the highly pathogenic virus not seen in domesticated flocks in Ireland since 2022.
This is in addition to a protection zone of at least 3km radius from the infected holdings having been put in place, as well as a surveillance zone of at least 10km radius.
These zones will see censuses taken on all holdings within them and procedures put in place to control movements of live poultry, eggs, used litter, manure and slurry from the holdings.
NI captive housing order
Northern Ireland has also introduced a captive bird housing order, which will come into effect on Thursday, after three recent cases of highly pathogenic bird flu were confirmed in poultry flocks there.
There has been a significant lift in the number highly pathogenic bird flu outbreaks across Europe over the past month, with 745 outbreaks confirmed since the beginning of October, 126 of which were in poultry flocks.
The public has been advised not to touch sick or dead wild birds, wild bird feathers or droppings, to avoid contact with surfaces contaminated with wild bird droppings, to keep dogs away from dead wild birds, to maintain good hand hygiene and to avoid poultry after travelling to an area suspected to have wild bird flu.
Suspected cases of bird flu are to be reported to local regional veterinary offices or to the emergency hotline on 01-492 8026 outside of normal office hours.
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Over 3,000 turkeys culled due to bird flu
There have been 8,000 birds culled on a turkey premises near Kells, Co Meath, as authorities scramble to contain the second outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu confirmed in a commercial poultry flock this week.
It is understood that the premises is home to approximately 28,800 birds and that all remaining birds on the site are to be culled.
The effort follows the culling of over 3,000 turkeys on a farm in Co Carlow earlier this week after the virus was detected there.
Both outbreaks were investigated by lab-testing samples taken from the flocks after “sudden increased mortality” had been observed.
The Department of Agriculture has warned that there remains a “significant risk of further outbreaks” and reminded poultry keepers that “strict biosecurity is a mandatory requirement” on their holdings.
Housing order
A compulsory housing order for all captive birds was announced by Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon on Wednesday – which is due to take effect from next Monday – in a bid to curb any resurgence of the highly pathogenic virus not seen in domesticated flocks in Ireland since 2022.
This is in addition to a protection zone of at least 3km radius from the infected holdings having been put in place, as well as a surveillance zone of at least 10km radius.
These zones will see censuses taken on all holdings within them and procedures put in place to control movements of live poultry, eggs, used litter, manure and slurry from the holdings.
NI captive housing order
Northern Ireland has also introduced a captive bird housing order, which will come into effect on Thursday, after three recent cases of highly pathogenic bird flu were confirmed in poultry flocks there.
There has been a significant lift in the number highly pathogenic bird flu outbreaks across Europe over the past month, with 745 outbreaks confirmed since the beginning of October, 126 of which were in poultry flocks.
The public has been advised not to touch sick or dead wild birds, wild bird feathers or droppings, to avoid contact with surfaces contaminated with wild bird droppings, to keep dogs away from dead wild birds, to maintain good hand hygiene and to avoid poultry after travelling to an area suspected to have wild bird flu.
Suspected cases of bird flu are to be reported to local regional veterinary offices or to the emergency hotline on 01-492 8026 outside of normal office hours.
Read more
Over 3,000 turkeys culled due to bird flu
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