The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature establishes a national housing and shielding obligation due to bird flu.
On October 6, highly pathogenic bird flu was confirmed on a poultry farm in Gasselternijveenschemond in Drenthe. To prevent further spread of the virus, approximately 71,000 animals at that location were culled by the NVWA. A transport ban and a housing and shielding obligation were also established in the 10-kilometer restriction zone.
On October 13, the Expert Group on Animal Diseases met to make a new risk assessment based on the recent outbreak in Gasselternijveenschemond and the available information about outbreaks in other EU member states. The risk of infection for a poultry farm in the Netherlands is now assessed as moderate. This was previously low to moderate. Therefore, the decision follows for a national housing and shielding obligation and the withdrawal of current exceptions for exhibitions of at-risk birds.
Read the full message on the Rijksoverheid website
For questions about policies regarding bird flu, journalists can contact the spokespeople of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature.
