Bird flu confirmed at Dutch farm; 45,000 birds to be culled

The Netherlands has confirmed bird flu at a laying-hen farm in Lutjegast, Groningen, and will cull about 45,000 birds to contain the outbreak. A transport ban is in force across a 10-kilometre zone around the site.

The zone covers 21 poultry farms. No other poultry farms are located within the inner three-kilometre area, according to the Dutch government. The ban prohibits moving birds, hatching eggs, table eggs, poultry manure and used litter from sites with birds inside the zone.

The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority is tracing potentially risky contacts to establish whether poultry or products were transported to or from the farm before the infection was reported. Further measures, including additional testing or restrictions on a contact farm, may follow if needed.

The government says this is the first outbreak in the Netherlands since July. It has not imposed a general requirement to keep poultry indoors, but has asked an expert group to reassess the disease risk.