Overview
- The NVWA is culling about 162,000 meat chickens at a Deurne broiler farm after confirming avian influenza and has imposed a 10‑kilometer restriction zone with an immediate transport ban on birds, eggs, manure and used litter.
- Farms within 1 and 3 kilometers are being screened and monitored for 10 days with additional 14‑day phone checks, with three holdings in the 1‑kilometer ring, seven in the 3‑kilometer ring, and 46 poultry businesses in the 10‑kilometer zone.
- The Deurne case sits in a regional cluster that includes multiple recent outbreaks in nearby Ysselsteyn, where a new infection reported Monday brings the area to five affected farms and nearly half a million birds culled since December 21.
- Culling in Deurne involves in‑barn gassing, removal of carcasses to Rendac in Son, thorough disinfection of the stables and a minimum 30‑day empty period before any restocking.
- Viroloog Thijs Kuiken cites viral adaptation and documented lapses in on‑farm hygiene as risks for further spread, while the NVWA says it currently has sufficient capacity to cull and investigate and can scale up if needed.