Bird flu, it is a nightmare for every poultry farmer. After the discovery of a pair of dead mute swans, the Ministry of Agriculture recently immediately imposed a national housing obligation for companies and a screening obligation for hobbyists with birds, poultry or waterfowl.
Severe variant
Animals have now been culled at several poultry companies. “When it enters a house with chickens, 90 percent of the chickens really die,” says Arjan Stegeman, veterinarian epidemiologist at Utrecht University. “It is the worst disease there is in these animals.”
It is not yet officially known how deadly this variant is. “Many dead birds are now being detected, so I expect it to be a more serious variant.”
–
–
‘They’ll fall right down’
The misery is now especially great with wild birds in the north of the country. There are reports of hundreds of geese dead.
At It Fryske Gea, the provincial association for nature conservation in Friesland, they see the birds literally fall from the sky. “Completely disoriented, they make a few more laps, then it takes a while, and then they fall down”, said a spokesman.
Also in other places in our country – van Woerden to Den Bosch – infected animals are found, mainly water birds. The curlew, teal and wigeon are also mentioned. The mallard seems less susceptible.
Six dead peregrine falcons
It is worrying that birds of prey such as peregrine falcons and buzzards are also killed.
–
–
Also risk for the bald eagle
There are fears for the small population of sea eagles in our country. White-tailed eagles have geese on their menu – both live and dead. If this rare bird of prey takes a bite from an infected goose, it can be quickly over.
“That is a real risk”, says Thijs Kuiken. He is professor of comparative pathology at Erasmus University. In an earlier outbreak of this bird flu in 2016-2017, sea eagles also died, he says.
The professor currently has a coordinating role in registering wild bird mortality in the Netherlands. There are no reports of infected eagles yet. But there is a chance that those reports will come – this is ‘definitely a concern’. “White-tailed eagles have only started breeding in the Netherlands for a few years. There are very few of them. If they die, that is a problem.”
Images of sick animals
Images are shared on social media of swans waving their necks wildly. And of geese that have difficulty walking:
–
–
‘Images are very sad to see’
“Those images are really bad to see,” says Kuiken. “The virus strikes the part of the brain that provides balance and movement. If that part is disrupted, the birds can no longer keep their heads straight and they can suddenly no longer walk normally. Very sad to see.”
According to the scientist, this type of virus did not occur naturally in wild birds in the past. The virus that you circulate in the Netherlands originated in an intensive poultry farm in China in the 1990s, says the professor. “As humans, we are therefore responsible for this death.”
–
–
Do not touch
Bird flu outbreaks have occurred more often, but this year the virus seems to be spreading more than usual and claiming more victims. The virus also circulates earlier in the year than before. That is worrisome, because most (infected) migratory birds still have to arrive in our country to hibernate.
People who find dead birds are strongly advised not to touch the animals and to inform the authorities (see box).
–
–
Here’s what to do if you come across a dead bird:
- Found 1 or 2 dead wild ducks, swans or geese at the same spot? Or less than 20 other wild birds? Report this to the Dutch Wildlife Health Centre (DWHC).
- Found 3 or more dead ducks, swans or geese in the same spot? Report this to the National reporting center for animal diseases on telephone number (045) 54 63 188.
- dead hobby chickens or hobby birds? Report this to your vet.
It is advisable not to touch the birds under any circumstances.
Source: NVWA
–
–
