A THIRD outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed in southern Ireland at a turkey farm in Co. Monaghan.
The highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak was reported in a flock at the commercial farm near Clontibret.
It follows two outbreaks last week, in turkey flocks in counties Meath and Carlow and a mandatory housing order for all poultry and captive birds took effect in Ireland on Monday, November 10.
Confirming the latest outbreak, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon said restriction zones had been established around the affected holding, comprising of a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone in line with national and EU legislation.
“This third outbreak underlines the ongoing risk to poultry and captive birds of avian influenza,’ Minister Heydon said.
“We know the virus is circulating in wild birds across the country,” he added.
“The compulsory poultry biosecurity regulations and housing order, which I have introduced, will help to mitigate the ongoing risk, but a strict and meticulous attention to biosecurity by all those who keep poultry or captive birds is the best way to protect our flocks from further outbreaks during this very challenging higher risk winter period.
“I want to express my sympathies to the flock owners who have been affected by these outbreaks, and to thank poultry keepers nationally for their continued cooperation and strong commitment to maintaining the highest standards of biosecurity.”
The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSE-HPSC) and the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) have advised that the risk to public health from the strain of Avian Influenza that is circulating in Ireland is “very low”.
They have advised members of the public not to handle sick or dead wild birds and to report sick or dead wild birds to the Department’s avian check app.