The Department of Agriculture has extended the regulations requiring the housing of poultry and captive birds until further notice. The housing regulations were brought in on 23 December 2016 following the detection of bird flu in a case in Wales. Since then, four cases of the H5N8 strain of bird flu have been detected in wild birds in Ireland – two in wild ducks in Co Wexford and Galway, and two in whooper swans in Co Tipperary and Co Leitrim.
The Department of Agriculture has extended the regulations requiring the housing of poultry and captive birds until further notice.
The housing regulations were brought in on 23 December 2016 following the detection of bird flu in a case in Wales. Since then, four cases of the H5N8 strain of bird flu have been detected in wild birds in Ireland – two in wild ducks in Co Wexford and Galway, and two in whooper swans in Co Tipperary and Co Leitrim.
There have also been further outbreaks of the disease in Britain, both in wild birds and poultry.
As a result, the Department said it has decided that the housing regulations will remain in place until further notice.
“This is due to the continued findings of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8 in wild birds in Ireland, and is considered necessary to protect the high health status of the larger national poultry flock,” it said in a statement.
No cases of bird flu have been detected in Irish poultry flocks since the current outbreak began in Europe at the end of October 2016.
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