January 3, 2023

Denmark to cull 50,000 chickens due to bird flu

Denmark's Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries said 50,000 chickens will be culled at a farm west of the country due to highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu, The Star reported.

Lotte Brink, head of section at the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration (DVFA), said the entire herd of 50,000 chickens will be culled to stop the spread of the virus.

First signs of the virus were detected on New Year's Eve at a farm near the town of Orum in Hedensted Municipality, which is about 177 km west of Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark.

The DVFA and the Danish Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) are expected to cull and dispose of all the infected chickens, then thoroughly clean and disinfect the entire farm.

The DVFA also began establishing a 10-kilometer restricted zone around the farm on Monday, making it prohibited to take eggs or poultry out of the farm without a permit.

The restrictions, which will impact over 450,000 birds in the surrounding area, will be lifted at the earliest 30 days after the last infected birds are culled and the property is disinfected, according to the DVFA.

The ministry said this is Denmark's fourth and largest bird flu outbreak since October 2022.

-      The Star