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Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2412962-water...oor-vogelgriep
Waterfowl in Oostvaardersplassen have died from bird flu
ANP ROBIN UTRECHT
The dead waterfowl that were found in the Oostvaardersplassen last week have died from bird flu. This is the result of research by Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR), a research institute of Wageningen University.
The animals were found last week. At that time, Staatsbosbeheer already took into account that it was bird flu. Laboratory research shows that the birds, which are three barnacle geese, had the contagious form of bird flu H5N1.
According to forest ranger Henk-Erik Kuypers, it is inevitable that more birds will die: "Unfortunately, we can't do anything about the virus disease itself and we can only hope that it disappears quickly and that the mortality is not too bad."
Urgent advice: do not touch animals
Dead birds in the Oostvaardersplassen are not removed by the nature organization. Unless the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority asks them to.
"Removing the animals is an impossible task for large parts of the Oostvaardersplassen. For example, the swamp is virtually inaccessible and the search for and removal of dead birds would have an extra disruptive effect," says Kuypers.
Visitors are warned about dead or weakened birds with information signs, Omroep Flevoland reports. The urgent advice is not to touch it. Dogs must also be kept on a leash because they can get sick if they eat infected birds.
Birds culled at companies
In the Netherlands, since October last year, a national obligation to cage and shield is in force because of the bird flu. This was instituted after an outbreak at an organic poultry farm in Zeewolde.
Birds have been culled at several companies since then. Last week, for example, almost 190,000 chickens were culled at two farms in Bentelo due to a bird flu outbreak.
Hundreds of thousands of birds have been culled since the confinement obligation came into effect, according to figures from the ministry. In some cases, several companies have been culled from a municipality and in some cases animals have been killed as a precaution:
Waterfowl in Oostvaardersplassen have died from bird flu
ANP ROBIN UTRECHT
The dead waterfowl that were found in the Oostvaardersplassen last week have died from bird flu. This is the result of research by Wageningen Bioveterinary Research (WBVR), a research institute of Wageningen University.
The animals were found last week. At that time, Staatsbosbeheer already took into account that it was bird flu. Laboratory research shows that the birds, which are three barnacle geese, had the contagious form of bird flu H5N1.
According to forest ranger Henk-Erik Kuypers, it is inevitable that more birds will die: "Unfortunately, we can't do anything about the virus disease itself and we can only hope that it disappears quickly and that the mortality is not too bad."
Urgent advice: do not touch animals
Dead birds in the Oostvaardersplassen are not removed by the nature organization. Unless the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority asks them to.
"Removing the animals is an impossible task for large parts of the Oostvaardersplassen. For example, the swamp is virtually inaccessible and the search for and removal of dead birds would have an extra disruptive effect," says Kuypers.
Visitors are warned about dead or weakened birds with information signs, Omroep Flevoland reports. The urgent advice is not to touch it. Dogs must also be kept on a leash because they can get sick if they eat infected birds.
Birds culled at companies
In the Netherlands, since October last year, a national obligation to cage and shield is in force because of the bird flu. This was instituted after an outbreak at an organic poultry farm in Zeewolde.
Birds have been culled at several companies since then. Last week, for example, almost 190,000 chickens were culled at two farms in Bentelo due to a bird flu outbreak.
Hundreds of thousands of birds have been culled since the confinement obligation came into effect, according to figures from the ministry. In some cases, several companies have been culled from a municipality and in some cases animals have been killed as a precaution:
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