The Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine (DAFM) has ruled out the presence of avian influenza (bird flu) in a flock of poultry in Monaghan.
A suspected case of bird flu in Co. Monaghan was reported to the department earlier this week and an investigation was immediately launched.
The premises in question was restricted while the investigation was ongoing.
DAFM has confirmed to Agriland that laboratory testing has now subsequently ruled out the presence of bird flu in the flock.
A spokesperson said: “The restrictions have now been lifted.”
Bird flu
HPAI bird flu was first identified in Ireland in November 2021 according to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC).
Since then there have been a number of cases in birds in Ireland. This has been part of a very large increase in the virus in Europe, the centre indicated.
Because avian influenza can pass from wild birds to poultry, it is recognised as a threat to Ireland’s domestic poultry flocks.
In the US, to verify the safety of meat in relation to bird flu, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is continuing studies to reaffirm consumer confidence.
The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced that results from its testing of retail ground beef found supplies tested negative for a presence of avian influenza.
The FSIS collected 30 samples of ground beef from retail outlets in the states with dairy cattle herds that had tested positive for the H5N1 influenza virus at the time of sample collection.
The USDA has stated that it is confident that the meat supply is safe.
It follows prior news from the US Food and Drink Administration (FDA), which confirmed that some pasteurised milk samples had “indicated the presence” of bird flu.
According to the FDA, pasteurisation is likely to inactivate the virus but the process is “not expected to remove the presence of viral particles”.
USDA, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US, along with state partners are currently investigating an outbreak of the avian influenza virus detected in dairy cows in a number of states.