Bird flu crisis: nearly 1.6 million birds culled in the Netherlands
Nearly 1.6 million birds have been culled in the Netherlands as authorities struggle to control an ongoing avian influenza outbreak. The latest outbreak occurred at a poultry farm in Ysselstein in Limburg, where 153,000 birds were culled.
This is the fourth outbreak in the area surrounding the village in the past few days, raising concerns among farmers and local authorities. Two farms are located one kilometer away and ten other farms are three kilometers away from the infected site.
All 12 nearby farms will be closely monitored in the coming days to prevent further spread of the disease. Farmers have been instructed to keep poultry inside the farms and away from contact with wild birds since mid-December.
Bird flu has reappeared in the Netherlands in October, with dozens of cases confirmed since then. The crisis has escalated quickly, prompting the Ministry of Agriculture to take emergency measures.
The number of birds killed due to the outbreak exceeded one million by the end of November, highlighting the significant impact on Dutch poultry farms and the need to intensify containment efforts to protect livestock and the agricultural economy.