Bird flu: Thousands of birds culled and exclusion zones introduced in two Northern Ireland areas

The UK and Ireland are now experiencing the "largest ever outbreak" of avian flu, officials have warned.

The outbreak has led to 22,100 ducks being culled on a farm in Northern Ireland this week, and two exclusion zones being put in place.

A Department of Agriculture official told MLAs at a Stormont Committee on Thursday morning that outbreaks have struck both farms and wild bird populations.

The deadly disease has been detected in birds in Great Britain and on the island of Ireland, leading to avian lockdown orders.  

Jim Blee, from the Department of Agriculture said there had been two outbreaks in Northern Ireland total, and nine wild birds have been found to have the disease too. 

“This is now the largest ever outbreak of avian influenza on these islands,” he told MLAs.

In the Republic of Ireland, four sites in County Monaghan and County Cavan have been affected, with 57 cases counted in wild birds too.

Great Britain has recorded 38 confirmed farm outbreaks, with 300 cases detected in wild birds.

Mr Blee confirmed that the mass duck cull at a commercial farm in Aughnacloy in County Tyrone had been completed, along with a cull at a second poultry site in Broughshane, County Antrim.

An exclusion zone is also being applied to the Broughshane site, which was described as a “small backyard flock”.

Agriculture officials in Northern Ireland have also been helping counterparts in the Republic to manage and contain the outbreak of avian flu at several sites.

There have been three outbreaks at three sites in County Monaghan and one in County Cavan.

MLAs have been told that as the farm areas affected are close to the border, the exclusion zones impact on the Northern Ireland side. 

Agriculture officials have been helping to provide equipment and assistance to colleagues managing the outbreaks in the Republic.The flock owners are to receive compensation for the lost livestock.

An avian influenza prevention zone was put in place across Northern Ireland on November 17 and a mandatory housing order came into effect on November 29.

“We have been working closely with colleagues across Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland as this outbreak develops, this has included daily stock take calls across the UK and close collaboration with colleagues in the devolved administrations on their approach to this outbreak,” Mr Blee told MLAs.

“We have had frequent engagement with our colleagues in the Republic of Ireland, particularly where disease control zones from an infected premise in our respective jurisdictions have extended into the other.”

Julian Henderson, senior principal veterinary officer, said resources are a “real issue right across the British Isles”.

“We are prioritising staff into the work on bird flu, right across the department we are considering our resourcing needs to enable us to sustain this response throughout the winter and we’re putting plans in place to how we can maintain the response,” he told MLAs.

“At the minute staff are working long hours, they have been working overtime in difficult conditions and we are actively considering how we can sustain that response.”

The official added that avian flu is likely to be with us across the winter and urged people to be “extremely vigilant and not stop being vigilant until it warms up in the spring time”.