A third recent outbreak of bird flu in the Republic has been confirmed in a turkey flock in Co Monaghan, the Department of Agriculture has said.
The latest cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza were detected on a commercial turkey farm near Clontibret.
Restriction zones have been established around the affected area, comprising a 3km (1.8 mile) protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone in line with national and EU legislation.
Two separate outbreaks were confirmed last week in turkey flocks in Co Meath and Co Carlow.
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Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon on Monday said the third outbreak “underlines the ongoing risk to poultry and captive birds of avian influenza”.
“We know the virus is circulating in wild birds across the country.”
On Monday, prior to the third outbreak being confirmed, the Minister implemented a mandatory housing order for all poultry and captive birds.
[ Bird flu: what the latest outbreaks mean for Christmas – and are people at risk?Opens in new window ]
The measure, which applies to commercial flock owners as well as those with small “backyard flocks”, including free-range egg producers and pet bird keepers, aims to reduce the opportunity for contact with potentially infected wild birds.
The regulations also include a ban on gatherings of birds from different premises - such as fairs, shows and sales - to protect the birds from the risk of infection.
Mr Heydon said the regulations “will help to mitigate the ongoing risk”, adding that “strict and meticulous attention to biosecurity by all those who keep poultry or captive birds is the best way to protect our flocks from further outbreaks during this very challenging higher risk winter period”.
The Minister expressed his sympathies to the flock owners “who have been affected by these outbreaks” and thanked poultry keepers nationally “for their continued co-operation”.
The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the European Centre for Disease Control have said the risk to public health from the strain of bird flu currently circulating is very low.
However, members of the public are advised not to handle sick or dead wild birds and to report sick or dead wild birds to the department’s AvianCheck app.
The recent outbreaks prompted the Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) to call for “laser-like focus on biosecurity” from poultry owners in order to protect their birds.
Fota Wildlife Park in Cork, meanwhile, is set to remain closed until the end of the month after an outbreak was detected on October 13th.
The department has been cooperating with its equivalent in Northern Ireland, where similar restrictions are now in place following several outbreaks.
The housing order is in addition to strict new biosecurity regulations for poultry which were introduced at the start of November in response to the increased risk posed to Irish poultry flocks.
