NI bird flu outbreak: 30,000 birds to be culled

Another 30k birds will be culled after a second outbreak of bird flu in a commercial flock in NI.

It brings the number of birds to be destroyed following two separate outbreaks to more than 100,000.

It has emerged that more than 80,000 birds will be culled in the first outbreak Clough, County Antrim.

A further 31,000 birds will be slaughtered following the more recent outbreak in Lisburn.

Restriction zones will be put in place around the affected premises.

The strain in Clough has been confirmed as H5N8, a virulent form of the disease.

Chief Vet Robert Huey said the confirmation of the disease had the potential to "have a devastating effect" on the industry.

"All poultry keepers must urgently take action now to keep their birds safe and reduce the risk over the higher risk winter period."

He said all bird owners, both commercial producers and backyard flock owners, had to review and tighten their biosecurity measures.

The risk to human health is low and properly cooked poultry presents no food safety risk.

The disease is carried by migratory wild birds. There have been eight confirmed cases in wild birds here so far this winter.

But this is the first time the disease has made its way into commercial poultry businesses.

The news has major implications for an industry that is worth hundreds of millions of pounds and employs thousands of people.

Restriction zones mean tight controls on movement of poultry and the news is likely to have an impact on trade.

In the short term, this means movements on or off poultry farms within the zones are only permissible under licence.

Poultry products from outside restricted zones can continue to be traded with EU member states and products from within the zones can be sold on home markets.

Other countries will apply their own rules depending on their assessment of the situation.