In Grootschermer (municipality of Alkmaar, province of North Holland) bird flu (H5) has been diagnosed in broilers on a broiler farm. It is probably a highly pathogenic variant of bird flu. To prevent the virus from spreading, the approximately 170,000 animals on the farm in question are culled. The clearance is carried out by the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA).
In the area of 1 kilometer around the infected company in Grootschermer, there is 1 other company, a care farm with laying poultry. This company is blocked, sampled for bird flu and intensively monitored daily for, among other things, the health of the animals. There are no other farms in the 3 kilometer zone around the infected farm, and 1 other poultry farm is located in the 10 kilometer zone around the infected farm. A transport ban applies immediately in this zone.
Transport ban
A transport ban applies to all birds and hatching and table eggs from a location with birds. The ban also applies to bird manure and used litter, and to other animals and animal products from poultry farms. There is also a hunting ban in this area.
National measures
National measures still apply, such as a ban on visiting bird roosts of risk birds, unless absolutely necessary. Birds at risk include kept gallinaceous birds (such as chickens), waterfowl and ratites. See also the explanation of the scheme for more information.
