Bird flu confirmed at Dutch, UK farms

THE HAGUE (Netherlands) — The Dutch government yesterday (Nov 16) banned the transport of poultry and eggs throughout the country after confirming an outbreak of bird flu at a chicken farm.

The Ministry for Economic Affairs said the outbreak is deadly to poultry and can also be transmitted to humans. Spokesman Jan van Diepen said the exact strain of bird flu has not yet been established.

All 150,000 chickens at the farm in Hekendorp, 65km south of Amsterdam, were being slaughtered. It was not clear how the farm became infected.

As well as halting the movement of poultry, other birds and eggs nationwide for 72 hours, the government is imposing other restrictions, including banning the transport of byproducts such as poultry manure and hay that have been used in poultry farms.

Also yesterday, British authorities confirmed a case of bird flu at a duck breeding farm in Yorkshire in northern England.

Officials have not confirmed the strain of the virus, but said the risk to public health was very low and there was no risk to the food chain.

A cull of all poultry at the farm was being carried out. AP