Dutch middle – Bird flu has been diagnosed at several poultry farms in the Hollands Midden region in recent weeks. The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has culled the birds. This reduces the risk of further spread of the bird flu virus. The GGD was also present to provide information about infection prevention measures.
bird flu
Bird flu sometimes also leads to complaints in humans. The GGD protects the poultry farmer and the employees involved, but also the NVWA’s clearers against this disease and its spread. We offer preventive treatment with virus inhibitors and flu vaccination.
The flu vaccination protects against the common winter flu and reduces the chance that people will experience an infection with bird flu and a common winter flu at the same time. If both infections occur at the same time in one person, a new virus type can arise. We want to prevent this.
We also keep an eye on the poultry farmer and the employees involved who are exposed to sick or dead birds. We test these people for symptoms that may indicate an infection with the flu version.
What can you do?
· Do not touch sick or dead wild (water) birds.
· As a precaution, keep your dog on a lead in places where dead waterfowl may lie. This way you prevent your dog from coming into contact with infected birds;
· Can you find a dead wild bird, or several dead wild birds in one place? Report it to the NVWA.
More information and links can be found on our website.