Avian influenza has been detected in a flock of laying hens at Klepp Rogaland. This is the first time that avian influenza has been detected in a commercial poultry farm in Norway.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority concludes that the risk of human contamination is considered very low, but this is a very serious situation for poultry production in Rogaland and the rest of the country.
Avian influenza usually leads to serious illness and death of infected birds. The disease is highly contagious among birds.
- All animals in the infected poultry farm have been killed and poultry rearing larger areas around the affected flock are restricted. All this to prevent the spread of the infection further. This is Ingunn Midttun Godal, director general of the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.
Security measures
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority was notified on Wednesday of increased mortality in a herd of around 7500 chickens. The herd was then isolated, which means that animals could not be brought into or out of the herd.
It is not known how the infection got into the herd.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority says it will now introduce a number of measures to prevent the infection from spreading further.
A risk zone and an observation zone will also be introduced around the herd where the infection has been detected. In these zones, any transport of live poultry and eggs from the farms may be prohibited.
. Important with good infection control measures
For now, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority recommends keeping poultry and eggs as low as possible in the area.
- We are working on getting a complete picture of the situation and constantly assessing what actions are necessary. Additional countermeasures may emerge in the near future and in the short term, says Godal.
Now the most important thing is that anyone who has poultry or other birds should have good infection control measures in place to avoid it.
- Make sure your birds don't come into direct or indirect contact with wild birds, for example through droppings, says Godal.
Source: NTB
