The risk of bird flu has changed from medium to high

OBS: Poultry must go behind fences..

After many more new findings of bird flu, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration is now changing the risk assessment from medium to high. This means that poultry herds must not be out in the open.

For the second time this month, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration raises the threat assessment of bird flu, and now changes the assessment from medium to high. They write this in a press release on Tuesday.

The new changes occur because the authorities in EU member states have found highly pathogenic bird flu in more than 70 herds and more than 120 wild animals in Europe in the first half of November.

The new change in the risk assessment means that from 23 November 2022 birds and poultry must be kept under cover and behind fences, and thus cannot be out in the open. The new requirement applies to most bird farms, so both hobby chickens in the backyard and large professional farms. Animal shows and exhibitions are also prohibited from 23 November 2022.

The highly contagious bird flu can cause very serious symptoms in birds, such as diarrhoea, eye inflammation, breathing problems and a high mortality rate. Only in rare cases can the disease be transmitted to people who have close contact with infected poultry.

Few exceptions:
However, there are some exceptions. Chicken farms that are less than 40 square meters and all smaller farms where only the owner himself eats all the eggs and meat from the poultry, so that the products the poultry provide do not leave the register, are exempt from the requirement for enclosure. This also applies to smaller farms with ornamental birds such as peacocks and parrots.

You can read more about the exceptions here.

At the same time, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration reminds in the press release that you have a duty to contact a veterinarian if your animal shows symptoms of bird flu. Whether you have hobby poultry or are a professional poultry breeder, you should also change your footwear when entering your chicken coop or poultry herd, they write. It is one of the ways in which you avoid dragging in droppings from wild birds.

If you find a dead bird in the wild that you suspect may have died of avian flu, the find can be reported to the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration on the app ‘Avian flu tip’.