THOUSANDS of chickens will be culled on a commerical farm in Co. Tyrone after a suspected case of bird flu was detected.
The Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) for Northern Ireland, Brian Dooher has confirmed that all poultry on the site will be humanely culled following the incident.
“A suspect case of notifiable avian influenza was reported on October 3 and initial results suggest the presence of notifiable HPAI,” Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Andrew Muir confirmed.
“The CVO has, therefore, taken the decision, as a precautionary measure, to apply appropriate disease control measures, including the humane culling of all poultry on the site and the introduction of Temporary Control Zones (TCZ) to mitigate for onward disease spread,” he added.
“This suspect incursion of HPAI is a stark reminder that we cannot afford to be complacent. It is imperative that all bird owners – from backyard hobbyists to commercial flock keepers with thousands of birds – adhere to all biosecurity measures to protect their flocks.”
In an interview with the BBC, DAERA veterinary officer Ignatius McKeown said there are up to 20,000 birds at the Tyrone farm which will all be culled.
CVO, Mr Dooher has appealed to all bird owners in Northern Ireland to take measures to protect them.
“The disease control measures are crucial to limit any potential spread of disease, and I appeal to all bird owners – backyard and commercial – to take all necessary steps to protect your flock,” he said.
“This includes ensuring continuous excellent levels of biosecurity and reporting any suspect cases of avian flu to DAERA immediately.”
He added: “Samples from the infected premises have been sent to the National Reference Laboratory to confirm strain and pathogenicity.
“Should HPAI be officially confirmed, these TCZs will be revoked and replaced with a 3 kilometre Protection Zone (PZ) and 10 kilometre Surveillance Zone (SZ).”