14,000 birds culled in North Brabant after avian flu outbreak
A broiler farm in Oudemolen, North Brabant, has been hit by avian flu, leading to the culling of 14,000 birds. Residents and poultry farmers within a 10-kilometre zone face transport bans to prevent further spread of the virus.
| Key Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Oudemolen (Moerdijk, North Brabant) |
| Number of birds culled | 14,000 |
| 1 km zone | No other poultry farms |
| 3 km zone | 2 poultry farms |
| 10 km restriction zone | 8 poultry farms |
| Transport ban | Applies to birds, hatching eggs, table eggs, manure, and used litter |
| National measures | Indoor housing and biosecurity obligations since October 2025 |
| Tracing investigation | NVWA examining high-risk contacts and transport records |
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) is responsible for managing animal disease outbreaks, including avian flu, to protect public health and the agricultural sector. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) enforces these measures to prevent further spread.
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Avian flu detected in Oudemolen (North Brabant)
Avian flu has been detected at a broiler farm in Oudemolen (municipality of Moerdijk, province of North Brabant). To prevent the spread of the virus, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN) has decided to cull the approximately 14,000 birds at the site, as carried out by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
Within the 1 km zone around the infected farm, there are no other poultry farms. In the 3 km zone, there are 2 poultry farms. In the 10 km restriction zone around the infected location, there are 8 other poultry farms.
Transport ban
A transport ban is now in effect across the entire 10-kilometre zone.
This means that from locations with birds in this zone, no birds, hatching eggs and/or table eggs may be transported. The ban also applies to the removal of poultry manure and used litter. These measures are necessary to prevent the virus from spreading to other parts of the country. Other animals and their products may still be transported to and from locations with birds, provided this is done in accordance with the strict conditions of the hygiene protocol.
The location of the 10-kilometre zone can be viewed on the animal disease viewer of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO).
National measures
Since October 16, 2025, a national indoor housing and biosecurity obligation has been in force in the Netherlands. The indoor housing obligation applies to all commercially kept birds. The biosecurity obligation applies to non-commercially kept high-risk birds (e.g., hobby chickens).
Since November 26, 2025, the national ban on visiting bird enclosures has been tightened. Visits to these facilities are only permitted if the visit is necessary for public health, animal health, animal welfare or the health of persons present in the stable.
Tracing investigation
The NVWA is conducting a tracing investigation into high-risk contacts. This involves examining whether products or poultry have been transported to or from this location in the period prior to the report. Additional measures, such as extra sampling or blocking a high-risk contact farm, may follow if necessary. These measures will be announced in an update to this press release and via the online channels of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature (LVVN).
Documents
Regulation of the State Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature of March 21, 2026, no. WJZ/105341340, ...
Regulation | March 21, 2026