The European poultry industry’s concerns over avian influenza (AI) spreading further has continued today with the Dutch government ordering poultry farmers to keep their stock indoors.
While the trigger for such action was last week’s AI outbreak in Hungary, Dutch economic affairs minister, Martijn van Dam (pictured above) has described the “indoors move” as a precaution which also takes account of the virus having been identified in wild birds in Germany, Poland, Hungary and several other countries.
In addition, Dutch officials said that they are carrying out checks on several dead ducks found near Monninkendam in the country’s Noord-Holland region which are “thought” to have been carrying the highly infectious H5N8 variant of the disease.
Poultry farmers in the Netherlands have also been told to boost levels of hygiene and reduce visitors to a minimum.
