Highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak confirmed in commercial turkey flock in Co. Carlow

Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, has today announced an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in a commercial turkey flock in County Carlow. As a consequence, restriction zones have been put in place around the holding (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. This is why I announced a biosecurity order that took effect last Saturday. 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.”

The HPAI H5N1 virus has been circulating widely in wild birds across the country during the past year and which recently caused an outbreak in a captive bird flock in County Cork. H5N1 has already recently been confirmed in a number of wild birds across the country, with over 40 cases this year to date. Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have also been identified in poultry flocks in several European countries and the United Kingdom this year.

Although avian influenza 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. Notwithstanding, members of the public are, as always, advised not to handle sick or dead wild birds and to report sick or dead wild birds to the Department’s avian check app (AvianCheck).

The Department continues to urge all flock owners, regardless of flock size, to remain vigilant for signs of disease, implement and maintain strict biosecurity measures, and report any suspicion of disease to their local Regional Veterinary Office or if outside business hours, to contact the National Disease Emergency Hotline on 01 492 8026.

The Department continues to closely monitor and assess the evolving disease situation and remains in regular contact with industry stakeholders.

ENDS

Notes for Editor:

• Compulsory biosecurity measures came into effect on Saturday, 1 November 2025, and are designed to prevent outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in poultry and captive birds. These regulations require specific biosecurity measures to be implemented by the keepers of all poultry (and other captive bird) flocks, irrespective of size, to help mitigate the risk of the virus, and additional enhanced biosecurity measures that must be implemented in flocks of 350 birds or more.
• A protection zone (PZ) of at least 3km radius from the infected holding and a surveillance zone (SZ) of at least 10km radius have been put in place. A census of all holdings within the PZ and SZ will be conducted and procedures put in place to control movements of live poultry, other captive birds, hatching and table eggs, used litter, manure and slurry from poultry holdings. There is no requirement to control the movement of poultry feed except to “suspect” or “infected” premises. However, biosecurity measures apply to the movement of feed delivery vehicles between poultry farms in the Restriction Zones (PZ & SZ).
• Clinical signs that poultry keepers should look for in their birds include a swollen head, discolouration of neck and throat, loss of appetite, respiratory distress, diarrhoea and fewer eggs laid – although these vary between species of bird.
• If you suspect disease in your own flock, notify the nearest Regional Veterinary Office or ring the Avian Influenza Helpline: 01 607 2512 (Outside of Office hours: 01 492 8026).
• If you find sick or dead wild birds such as wild ducks, wild geese, swans, gulls or birds of prey, do not handle the birds. Report the findings to the Department as above or the Avian Influenza Wild Bird reporting App (AvianCheck).
• Further information avian influenza can be found on the Government website at www.gov.ie/birdflu