The vital Co Monaghan poultry sector went into a mode of heightened vigilance this week following reports that at least seven cases of the highly pathogenic H5N1 strain of avian influenza or bird flu had been confirmed by Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs. The strain is thought to be circulating in breeding wild birds along the coastlands of Northern Ireland and the UK mainland. Sea birds at Portrush West Strand, Portbalintrea and on Rathlin Island in Co Antrim have tested positive. The strain had caused “significant mortality in some species”, according to the Northern Ireland Agriculture Department.
Bird flu has also been identified in a raven found off the coastline of Co Kerry. Five poultry farms in Co Monaghan and a turkey flock in Co Cavan were wiped out by bird flu in the November-January period, with over 200,000 birds culled. Bird flu might now be endemic in wild bird populations in Europe, a report published by the European Food Safety Authority stated this week.
A statement from the Department of Agriculture this week urged all poultry owners to implement biosecurity measures to prevent outbreaks, as the flu can be spread through environments that have been…
