An outbreak of avian influenza (bird flu) has been confirmed in a flock of captive birds in north Dublin, according to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM).
Confirmed over the weekend, it is the first outbreak to be detected in non-wild birds since December of last year.
The detected outbreak was confirmed over the weekend in an area near Sutton, however it is not in a poultry flock and has not led to the implementation of any restrictions at this time.
The department stated that the outbreak has been contained to a relatively small flock of captive birds, but has advised all flock owners to take the necessary precautions.
In a statement, it said:
“All poultry flock owners should remain vigilant for any signs of disease in their flocks, maintain strict biosecurity measures and report any disease suspicion to their nearest Department Regional Veterinary Office.”
The case was identified close to a coastal area where there have been a number of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) cases confirmed in seabirds.
Since July of this year, in excess of 80 wild birds have been submitted to the DAFM’s laboratories for testing, 61 of which tested positive for HPAI. All but one of these were detected in seabirds.
“These wild bird findings confirm that the avian influenza virus is currently circulating widely in the wild bird population in Ireland,” the DAFM said.
“This reservoir of infection in wildlife poses a risk to our poultry flocks and industry.”
Following the introduction of the Avian Influenza Biosecurity Measures Regulations 2022 on September 19, flock owners in Ireland are legally required to maintain biosecurity measures to mitigate the risk of spreading the disease.
Members of the public should also be cautious and should not handle sick or dead birds, but instead contact the department.
Avian flu in the UK
The UK is currently battling its largest-ever outbreak of bird flu in both wild and captive birds. 190 cases have been confirmed across the nation since late-October of 2021, 30 of which have occurred since the beginning of this month.
Six new cases were confirmed in southeast England today (October 19), despite the introduction of a protection zone across the whole nation on Monday (October 17), a measure taken to try and mitigate the spread of the disease
When launching the coinciding protection zone in Northern Ireland on Monday, Northern Ireland’s agricultural minister Edwin Poots said:
“Due to this risk increase, which is echoed by our counterparts in Great Britain, I have decided to implement an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) across Northern Ireland from 12:00p.m on October 17, 2022.
“This is in line with Great Britain introducing an AIPZ from the same time and will reflect similar measures introduced in the Republic of Ireland on September 19.”