More than 60,000 birds are to be slaughtered after a suspected avian flu case was detected at a poultry operation in Co Tyrone, Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture has said.
Disease control measures have been initiated as a precaution in response to the suspected highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) case, which was reported from a commercial facility near Dungannon on Friday.
These include “the humane culling of all poultry on site (64,000) and the introduction of Temporary Control Zones to mitigate for onward disease spread”, the department said.
A housing order will come into force for all kept birds and poultry from midnight. Under this, all bird keepers, from people with pet birds to commercial operators, are legally required to keep their birds indoors or otherwise separate from wild birds.
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A similar housing order, announced during the week by Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon, comes into effect in the Republic from midnight. It follows cases of HPAI being detected in wild birds in counties Galway, Donegal, Dublin, Westmeath and Wexford over the last two months.
“This suspected incursion of HPAI, following the recently confirmed case at a captive bird premises near Magherafelt further shows we cannot afford to be complacent,” Stormont Minister for Agriculture Andrew Muir said.
“It is crucial that all bird owners – from backyard hobbyists to commercial flock keepers with thousands of birds – adhere to all biosecurity measures to protect their flocks and report any suspect cases to the Department as soon as possible.”
There have been a number of confirmed cases of HPAI in wild birds across Northern Ireland.
“The disease control measures have been taken to limit any potential spread of disease and I appeal to all bird owners – backyard and commercial – to take all necessary steps to protect your flock,” said Brian Dooher, the North’s chief veterinary officer. “This includes ensuring continuous excellent levels of biosecurity and adhering to all the requirements mandated under the AIPZ.”
He said that if the samples taken from the Dungannon operation are confirmed as HPAI cases, the temporary control zones will be revoked and replaced with a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone.
There have been no reported outbreaks of avian flu in the State this year, but Irish Farmers’ Association poultry committee chairman Nigel Sweetnam said people should not fall into a “false sense of security”.
He said people should look to the US as a case study of what can go wrong when the risk of bird flu is not taken seriously.
“It (bird flu) is very virulent. In America, eggs have tripled in price because 40 million hens have been taken out of (the food chain) and that is down to not taking biosecurity seriously,” he said. “The biggest problem is that if the laying hens get it, there are no ready replacements.”
Mr Sweetnam emphasised said the compulsory order was not just about bigger operators but people with small “back yard flocks”.
“The big danger is feeding them outside and sharing the feeding area with wild birds. That is the biggest risk. The other point about all these back yard flocks is that they all really need to be registered with the Department of Agriculture because the last outbreak in Northern Ireland was actually a back yard flock.”
He said the potential ramifications are “huge” when it comes to bird flu. “The impact of it getting in to the flock is wipe out. What is not killed by the virus would be euthanised.”
The Department of Agriculture has advised members of the public not to handle sick or dead wild birds and to report any episodes of sick or dead wild birds to their Regional Veterinary Office or, if outside business hours, to the National Disease Emergency Hotline on (01) 492 8026.
