A number of poultry farms in the Gelderse Vallei have been infected with bird flu in the past two weeks. Research by Wageningen Bioveterinary Research seems to indicate that after the introduction by wild birds, there is also a spread of bird flu between companies in the Gelderse Vallei.
The earlier outbreaks this season were almost all the result of separate infections from wild birds in the area, according to research into the bird flu viruses found. However, the Gelderse Vallei is a poultry-dense area where relatively few waterfowl live. Wageningen Bioveterinary Research also analyzed the viruses from infections in this area.
The analysis of the genetic code of the viruses found points to two clusters in the recent infections on the farms in Gelderland. Within such a cluster, the viruses are very closely related to each other. It is likely that two companies were infected by wild birds, after which the virus managed to spread to companies in the vicinity.
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