Indoor confinement for Dutch poultry after detection of bird flu

THE HAGUE, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality imposed an immediate indoor confinement for Dutch poultry after the detection of avian influenza at a meat ducks farm in Biddinghuizen, province of Flevoland, on Friday.

The bird flu of the H5 type is probably of a highly pathogenic variant. To prevent the virus from spreading, the whole company is cleared. In total, around 16,000 meat ducks will be killed by the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).

There are four other poultry farms in an area of 3 kilometers surrounding the infected farm in Biddinghuizen. These companies are also examined on the presence of avian influenza.

Minister Carola Schouten of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality ordered an immediate transport ban in a zone of 10 kilometers around the infected farm for poultry, eggs and other products or animals which originates from commercial poultry farms.

The national indoor confinement applies to all commercial companies that keep poultry intended for the production of meat, eggs or other products and also to farms that breed birds to be released into the wild nature. The measures were taken out of precaution to reduce the chance of wide spreading of the virus. Enditem