Department to remove last remaining surveillance zone for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) has today announced the removal of the last remaining Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI H5N1) Surveillance zone from this coming Saturday, 22nd January. The zone was located in Co Monaghan with a small area of Northern Ireland also included.

While the removal of the movement restrictions on poultry within the zone is a most welcome event, the Department emphasises that the country is still in the high-risk period for Avian Influenza (AI) and will remain so until the end of April. Wild bird fatalities continue to be reported with wild birds continuing to test positive for AI across the country.

The precautionary confinement and biosecurity measures introduced by the Department in November 2021 under the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013, to protect the poultry industry, will remain in force. These include the requirement to confine of all poultry or captive birds such that wild birds and other animals do not have access to them and the application of stringent bio-security measures for poultry and other captive birds, as well as a ban on the assembly of birds.

Stringent bio-security, including housing or confinement of birds, is vital to mitigate the risk spread of disease and to protect poultry flocks across the island. All keepers of poultry are urged to continue to maintain the highest standards of biosecurity to protect their flocks and to report any suspicion of disease to their local regional veterinary office.

Bio-security advice is available at the link below:

https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/50ce4-avian-influenza-bird-flu/