DUTCH AUTHORITIES have confirmed avian influenza on a second poultry farm – this time a laying hen unit within 3km of the H5N8 outbreak on a breeder farm in Altforst declared last week.
The variant has been confirmed as H5, but it is expected to be the H5N8 strain present in wild birds and other outbreaks.
See also: Avian influenza: How to spot it and ways to prevent it
About 100,000 hens on the AI-positive farm, and about 115,000 birds on a holding less than 1km away will be culled in an attempt to control further spread.
Genetic testing is underway to determine if the spread was from the farm earlier hit by bird flu or wild birds.
Purple = poultry farms
Red = wild birds
Blue = hobby birds
There may be a few days delay between positive tests and map updates
Source: Wageningen Bioveterinary Research
Within 3km of this farm there are another six poultry farms, including the Altforst farm that tested positive last week.
An extensive sampling programme is underway on nearby units to determine if they have the disease present.
In a letter to the Dutch parliament, minister for agriculture Carola Shouten said that dead wild birds were being reported daily.
