The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine has this evening (Tuesday, November 4) confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (bird flu) in a commerical turkey flock.

Minister Martin Heydon said the turkey flock is located in Co. Carlow and restriction zones have now been put in place around the premises - which inclues a 3km protection zone and 10km surveillance zone. 

Minister Heydon said: “This outbreak is a reminder to us all of the importance of robust biosecurity.

"Strict biosecurity is the best defence we have against the threat of avian influenza. Thankfully, the disease poses no food safety risk to consumers of well-cooked poultry products, including eggs.”

Bird flu

According to the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)HPAI H5N1 (bird flu) virus has been circulating widely in wild birds across the country during the past year.

It recently caused an outbreak in a captive bird flock in County Cork.

Fota Wildlife Park in Co. Cork today confirmed that it will be forced to remain closed until the end of November because of the ongoing bird flu situation.

Last month samples taken from captive birds which died at Fota Wildlife Park tested positive for bird flu.

In a statement today the park said: "Unfortunately, 12 cases of avian influenza have been confirmed within Fota Wildlife Park’s collection since the outbreak began".

The H5N1 virus has also been confirmed in a number of wild birds across the country, with over 40 cases this year to date.

The department has highlighted that outbreaks of bird flu have also been identified in poultry flocks in several European countries and the UK this year. 

DAFM is continuing to stress that while bird flu can be very contagious between birds, the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSE-HPSC) and the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) advise that the risk to public health from the strain of avian influenza that is circulating "is very low".

It is however advising members of the public not to handle sick or dead wild birds and to report sick or dead wild birds to the department’s avian check app.

Separately disease control measures are now in force in Northern Ireland following  a suspected case of bird flu on a commercial poultry premises in Co. Tyrone and following preliminary positive results for bird flu at a commercial poultry premises near Lisnaskea, Co Fermanagh.

Temporary Control Zones (TCZ) have been introduced in Co. Tyrone and Co. Fermanagh.