A large poultry farm in Tzum in Friesland has been struck by a particularly contagious form of bird flu following a spate of other outbreaks on Dutch poultry farms in recent weeks.

All 122,500 broiler chickens will be killed, and no transport of poultry is allowed within a radius of 10 kilometres. Another 14 poultry farms are concentrated in the area.

The NVWA will be carrying out checks to see if people who visited the farm also visited other nearby farms.

Poultry farmers were ordered to keep their birds indoors after the discovery of the disease on a farm in Zeewolde at the end of October. The virus was subsequently found on farms in Lutjegast, Parrega, Sint-Oedenrode and Weert.

Zoos, petting zoos and people who keep birds as a hobby were told to make sure no contact is made with wild birds and their faeces.

The last time the government had to order farmers to keep poultry inside was in October 2020 and it took some eight months before the measure was lifted.

In winter 2020/21, more than 22 million birds in the EU died, either because they had the virus or in the mass culls.