Bird flu has been detected at a broiler farm in Minnertsga (municipality of Waadhoeke, province of Friesland). To prevent the spread of the virus, the approximately 105,000 broilers at the site are being culled by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
Bird flu has been detected at a farm with 88,000 meat ducks in Dalfsen-Overijssel. The farm is being culled by the NVWA. In the 3-kilometre zone around the infected farm are six other poultry farms, which are being screened for bird flu by the NVWA. There are 26 other poultry farms in the 10-kilometre zone, to which the transport ban applies immediately.
LNV minister Henk Staghouwer says he is very concerned about the advancing ASF virus and especially about the long distances it travels due to people's negligence and inadequate implementation of biosecurity measures. Specifically, Staghouwer referred to the two recent outbreaks in Germany. One on a pig farm in southern Germany, near the border with France and on the border near the Netherlands. "These outbreaks show the unpredictability of the spread and prove that the migration of wild boars does not lead to such a type of spread," Staghouwer said. On a imposition of a preventive breeding ban on pigs, the minister is cautious. "Imposing a breeding ban to prevent the introduction of ASF virus I now consider disproportionate."
He does not consider a minimum distance of at least 1 kilometre between established and licensed pig farms necessary at present. Furthermore, within the area-based approach, the risk of outbreaks with and spread of pathogens will also be taken into account when terminating, establishing or relocating livestock farms.
Letter to the Lower House from Minister Staghouwer (LNV) on the regional withdrawal of the compulsory caging of birds due to the risk of bird flu. It cannot be ruled out that the caging and fencing obligation will remain in place for certain regions for the rest of the year and possibly longer.
See:https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/ministerie-van-landbouw-natuur-en-voedselkwaliteit/documenten/kamerstukken/2022/07/15/kamerbrief-regionaal-intrekken-van-de-ophokplicht-voor-vogels-ingesteld-i.v.m.-risico-vogelgriep Report Expert Group on Animal Diseases Risk Assessment 12 July 2022. See:https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/ministeries/ministerie-van-landbouw-natuur-en-voedselkwaliteit/documenten/vergaderstukken/2022/07/15/verslag-deskundigengroep-dierziekten-risicobeoordeling-12-juli-2022
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has put together a video to stay one step ahead of African Swine Fever. Viewable via this link: https://www.gddiergezondheid.nl/Diergezondheid/Management/avp
European Food Safety Authority EFSA's Stop African Swine Fever campaign has been extended for the third consecutive year. It is implemented in cooperation with local authorities in 18 countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo [1], Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Northern Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia. The campaign targets farmers, veterinarians and hunters. With the help of local farmer groups, veterinary organisations, hunting associations and other
relevant agencies, the campaign aims to raise awareness on how to prevent the spread of ASF.
Over 10 kilometres from the German border, a Polish backyard farm with five pigs has become infected with African swine fever. It is the eighth outbreak in kept pigs this year in Poland.
The farm is located in Strzelczyn, in the municipality of Chojna. Across the border in northern Brandenburg state is a nature reserve next to the Oder river. The pigs on the infected farm have been killed and disposed of. The farm is being cleaned and disinfected.
Export certification is no longer possible from horse markets due to new Animal Health Regulation (EU). Organisers of the 3 major horse markets (Zuidlaren, Hedel and Elst) have been notified. This means that NVWA export certification in addition to from the home location is only possible from horse collection centres approved in the Netherlands.
