Bird flu outbreak at Laois turkey farm
File photo for illustration purposes only
A LARGE turkey farm in Laois has been hit by a devastating outbreak of bird flu.
The Department of Agriculture has confirmed that the disease was detected at the farm, just before the weekend.
The farm located near Ballybrittas has up to 30,000 turkeys, making it the largest flock to be hit by bird flu in the Republic of Ireland this year.
It is disastrous news for the farm, which is facing the loss of the entire flock at the busiest time of the year.
The Department of Agriculture said the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 was confirmed in the Laois turkey flock on 21 November.
It is the fourth confirmed case of avian influenza in a poultry flock in the Republic of Ireland since 4 November, while there have been two confirmed cases in Northern Ireland.
A 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone have been set up around the farm, which is close to the Kildare border. The larger 10km zone extends across parts of counties Laois, Offaly and Kildare.
It follows an outbreak in a turkey flock in Co Monaghan on 10 November, in Meath on 5 November and in Carlow on 4 November.
Agriculture minister Martin Heydon said: ‘First and foremost, I want to express my sympathy with the flock owner concerned and with the other flock owners, who have been impacted by outbreaks in recent weeks.
Restriction zones have been established around the affected turkey premises, with strict movement controls on the movements of poultry and poultry products. Veterinary investigations and surveillance are ongoing.’
A mandatory housing order for poultry and captive birds and a ban on gatherings of birds from different holdings was imposed on 10 November, in a bid to control the disease.
The Department said it continues ‘to monitor developments closely, engage with industry stakeholders and take all necessary measures to mitigate the risk of avian influenza’.
The Department previously reminded all flock owners, regardless of the flock size, to: Comply fully with the housing and biosecurity regulations, remain vigilant for sign of disease, and to report any suspicions of avian influenza to their local regional veterinary office, or if outside business hours, to contact the National Disease Emergency Hotline on 01 492 8026.
