Dutch poultry imports temporarily halted in Singapore after bird flu outbreak

As a safety measure, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has temporarily restricted the import of Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) and other products from an area in Netherlands which reported an outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu at a duck farm there.

In view of the outbreak, import of poultry, poultry products and ornamental birds that come from a 10 km restricted area around the affected duck farm in Biddinghuizen, the Netherlands have been restricted.

There has been an outbreak of pathogenic bird flu at a duck farm in Netherlands.
There has been an outbreak of pathogenic bird flu at a duck farm in Netherlands. Photo courtesy: Wikimedia

However, heat-processed poultry products, which meet the requirements for the destruction of the virus, will not be affected, said AVA.

It added, “So far this year no poultry, poultry products or ornamental birds have been imported from the affected area.”

There was an outbreak of highly contagious bird flu in the Flevoland province of Netherlands recently that led to the culling of nearly 16,000 ducks.

The highly pathogenic H5N6 strain was discovered on a duck fattening farm in Biddinghuizen on December 7 where it killed 40 birds, said Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs.

A 3-kilometre surveillance zone and a 10-kilometre protection zone were established around the farm, it said.