Netherlands to sacrifice 29,000 more chickens to contain avian flu

The Netherlands must cull another 29,000 chickens at a farm in the north of the country after the detection of a highly infectious strain of the bird flu said the government this Monday (21).

The farm is in the town of Koudum, 100 km west of Groningen. A transport ban was imposed on seven other nearby farms, a government statement said.

It is the third case of the form of bird flu registered in the country in recent days, and the sixth this month, after dozens of cases at the beginning of the year.

Around 6 million poultry have been culled in the Netherlands since the new disease variant was first detected on October 26, 2021, the Dutch food safety authority said last month.

France has also seen a resurgence in cases after suffering its worst avian flu outbreak earlier this year.

About avian flu

Avian influenza, also popularly known as avian flu, is caused by a virus capable of infecting animals in different parts of the world. This happens because this virus is frequently identified in many species of birds, including migratory ones, in addition to pigs and humans. The virus spreads among birds from contact with infected animals, their secretions or faeces.

Avian influenza is a worldwide disease, with pandemic cycles over the years, with serious consequences for international trade in poultry products.

Type A influenza viruses have a high capacity for mutation and, consequently, for adapting to new hosts. The adaptation of avian influenza viruses to humans has already been responsible for a high lethality rate, and the possibility of transmission of these viruses among humans may represent a high risk for the world’s population.

(With information from CNN’s Lucas Rocha; editing by Mike Harrison)