H5N1 appears to be a nasty form of bird flu. An outbreak in high summer is exceptional and yet the virus continues to blow around. The sector fears what is to come in the autumn. ‘Normally the virus dies out in the summer, apparently it is now moving to other bird species,’ says Bart-Jan Oplaat, chairman of the Dutch Union of Poultry Farmers.
Normally, bird flu is no longer found in the summer, but after an autumn and winter with an exceptionally high number of infections, infections are still found in both wild birds and poultry farms. The virus was also found in storks earlier this year. ‘This again concerns a new bird species, which can also occur in large parts of the Netherlands. These developments show the unpredictability of the spread’, says Minister Staghouwer.
Storage duty
Since the end of October, large parts of the country have been obliged to keep birds indoors. ‘Nevertheless, the virus still gets into the chickens, but we don’t know how that’s possible,’ says Bart-Jan Oplaat, chairman of the Dutch Poultry Farmers.
Due to the obligation to keep in stock, only free-range eggs can be sold, while free-range eggs are much more lucrative for poultry farmers. ‘This costs an average company about 3000 euros per week’.
Virus will stay for a while
The fear is that the confinement obligation will continue for a while. Minister Staghouwer calls the bird flu situation worrying. “Certainly with an infection in a poultry-rich area such as the Gelderse Vallei, this has a huge impact for many.”
According to the minister, we must take into account that bird flu is also present in our country for the rest of the year.