Dutch poultry destroyed over bird flu traces

Dutch authorities say birds kept at a farm in the central village of Hekendorp are being destroyed following the discovery of bird flu.

In a statement released on Saturday, the Dutch government announced that the farm is being cleared while its 150,000 birds are not free range and are being slaughtered in accordance with European rules on avian influenza.

Inspections are being conducted at two other poultry farms within a one-kilometer radius of the site, and a 21-day ban has been imposed on transporting poultry, straw, dung or eggs in the area, the statement added.

Dutch officials, however, provided no details of what strain of bird flu had been found in the farm.

Earlier in March, about 10,000 chickens were destroyed after the discovery of bird flu at a farm in the eastern Dutch province of Gelderland.

Previous outbreaks of aviation influenza across a number of European and Asian countries have proven highly contagious.

Earlier this month, Germany detected cases of the H5N8 bird flu strain, which had never been reported in Europe. Russia also reported in September the first cases of the H5N1 strain in almost two years.