Avian flu forces culling of 38,000 chickens in Drenthe and Oudemolen

Avian influenza has been confirmed at a laying hen farm in Geesbrug, Drenthe, prompting the culling of approximately 24,000 chickens. According to NOS, authorities have imposed a transport ban within a 10-kilometer radius, affecting 27 nearby poultry farms.

Under the ban, birds, hatching eggs, and table eggs cannot be moved to prevent further spread of the virus. On Saturday, 14,000 broiler chickens were culled in Oudemolen, Noord-Brabant, following a separate outbreak.

A nationwide confinement order for poultry has been in effect since October due to widespread avian flu cases. Since the start of the season, dozens of outbreaks have been reported, and more than two million birds have been destroyed.

“The avian flu virus appears almost every year, but this season is more severe than in previous years,” health authorities noted.