No Bird Flu Virus Found at Farms Around Kamperveen
THE NETHERLANDS - Among the new measures introduced to control the spread of bird flu, day-old chicks can only be transported off farms in unaffected areas for export. Chicks may not be transported to Dutch farms, nor may poultry manure be moved.
24 November 2014
3 minute read
By: New measures have been ordered in the Netherlands against bird flu, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Secretary Dijksma has introduced a new package of measures. The national movement ban of 72 hours is replaced by a focused regional approach, with additional measures likely to remain in place for the coming weeks. Control zones around the infected farms in Hekendorp, Ter Aar and Kamperveen will remain in force. All measures are designed to prevent bird flu can spread and are expected to remain in force for 21 days.
The country has been divided into four regions, between which the contacts are to be kept to a minimum. These regions are structured so that the two regions of high poultry density - Gelderland valley and De Peel - are in different regions as well as being situated in different control zones around the confirmed outbreak locations of Hekendorp, Ter Aar and Kamperveen.
These measures are based on disease prevention, by minimising the contacts between poultry and other means of transmitting the virus, such as transport or people.
When transport is necessary, hygiene measures very important, the Secretary stressed. No more than one poultry farm may be visited per trip to the slaughterhouse and all transport crates should be cleaned and disinfected each time.
Moving poultry manure poses a significant risk, and therefore, it remains prohibited.
In addition, no new poultry are to be supplied at present; the more birds there are, the higher the risk of contamination of other poultry farms. Calculations of the CVI show that the release of the virus is almost inevitable in regions with many poultry, leading to an epidemic. Therefore, it remains forbidden to transport day-old chicks to poultry farms in the Netherlands.
The transport of day-old chicks carries a very low health risk compared to other types of poultry and so transport of day-old chicks from clean companies outside the 10-kilometre surveillance zone will be allowed but only for export and under strict conditions.
A later report from the Ministry says that the bird flu virus has not been detected at any of the 32 poultry companies found in the 10-km zone around Kamperveen.
