Bird flu epidemic spreads in Netherlands, nearly 80,000 poultry culled

China News Service, The Hague, November 12. The bird flu epidemic spreads in the Netherlands. Bird flu outbreaks occurred in two adjacent farms in the eastern province of Gelderland. A total of nearly 80,000 poultry were culled.

According to an announcement issued by the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality on the 11th, the two farms involved are located in Harderwijk, Gelderland Province, less than 1 kilometer apart from each other. To curb the spread of the epidemic, authorities culled about 70,000 poultry on one farm and about 9,500 poultry on another farm.

The announcement stated that there is another farm within 1 kilometer of the two farms involved, and the authorities are closely monitoring it. There are no other farms within a 3-kilometer radius, and there are 11 farms within a 10-kilometer radius. From now on, poultry, eggs, feed, poultry manure, garbage, etc. are not allowed to be transported to the outside world.

The announcement stated that from 2022 to 2025, bird flu outbreaks occurred in the two farms involved. This time there is another outbreak of bird flu, the authorities will conduct a focused investigation on the two farms, especially the source of bird flu infection, the route of transmission and other information.

After entering autumn and winter in October this year, the bird flu epidemic has made a comeback in the Netherlands. Previously, bird flu outbreaks broke out in several farms in the northern provinces of Groningen and North Holland, and a total of nearly 100,000 poultry were culled.

In response to the avian influenza epidemic, the Dutch government announced on October 28 that it would reinstate a ban on poultry confinement throughout the Netherlands, including birds raised by bird enthusiasts, and it was also prohibited to hold exhibitions of susceptible poultry such as chickens, ducks, and geese. (over)