WAGENINGEN – The bird flu that has plagued poultry farms in the Gelderse Valley in recent weeks seems to have spread between the companies themselves. It is likely that first two companies in the area were infected by wild birds, after which the virus was able to move to other places in the area.
This is shown by research by Wageningen Bioveterinary Research. Several poultry farms in the Gelderse Vallei have been infected with bird flu in the past two weeks. The previous bird flu outbreaks in the Netherlands this season were almost all the result of separate infections from wild birds in the area. This is apparent from research by Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR) into the bird flu viruses found.
However, the Gelderse Vallei is a poultry-dense area where relatively few waterfowl live. WBVR also analyzed the viruses from the infections in this area. To gain insight into this, the genetic code of the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu viruses found on the poultry farms was determined. A genetic analysis was then performed. This analysis shows that there are two clusters of infections. Within such a cluster, the viruses are very closely related to each other. It is therefore likely that two companies were infected by wild birds, after which the virus managed to spread between the companies in the cluster.
To prevent further spread of the virus between companies, the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality has tightened up the visitor arrangement in the entire Gelderse Vallei region. Poultry farms in the 1 kilometer zone around the outbreaks are culled as a preventive measure. Poultry farmers are called upon to strictly observe hygiene rules and advice.
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