Emergency restriction measures have been put in place around a commercial turkey flock in Co Carlow following an outbreak of highly pathogenic bird flu.
On Tuesday, the Department of Agriculture said a 3km protection zone had been installed around the holding, as well as a 10km surveillance zone.
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon said the avian influenza H5N1 disease “poses no food safety risk to consumers of well-cooked poultry products, including eggs”.
“This outbreak is a reminder to us all of the importance of robust biosecurity,” he said. “This is why I announced a biosecurity order that took effect last Saturday. Strict biosecurity is the best defence we have against the threat of avian influenza.”
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The strain of bird flu has been confirmed in a number of wild birds across the country, with more than 40 cases so far this year, the department said.
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Although avian influenza can be very contagious between birds, the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre and the European Centre for Disease Control have said the risk to public health from the strain currently circulating is low.
All flock owners have been urged to be vigilant for signs of bird flu and to maintain biosecurity measures.
Earlier on Tuesday, Fota Wildlife Park in Cork, which has been closed following detection of the virus there, said it would remain so until the end of the month.
It is now facing losses running into hundreds of thousands of euro.
Aileen Tennant, the park’s director, confirmed it is now expected to remain closed for at least three weeks to deal with the outbreak.
Ms Tennant said Fota had consulted with the Department of Agriculture and embarked upon a series of targeted mitigation measures to prevent a spread of the disease.
She confirmed that 12 cases of avian flu had been confirmed among the park’s bird population since the outbreak of the disease was first detected on October 13th. It was found among greylag geese, which form part of the park’s bird collection comprising 21 species and 168 individuals.
“As a result, the difficult decision was reached to humanely euthanise 73 birds from the park’s collection, as a limited population management measure for non-endangered avian species,” said Ms Tennant, adding that the park’s birds are currently testing negative for avian flu.
“Due to the seriousness of the avian flu outbreak, this was the only option that could be taken in order to maintain the highest standards of animal welfare for the park’s remaining birds, and in order to minimise the transmission of the virus within the park.”
Among the species which had to be euthanised were greylag geese, peafowl, guinea fowl and mandarin ducks, while a further 83 birds have been separated from the wild bird population and isolated or housed in temporary aviaries.
Among the species that were separated from the wild bird population as part of this mitigation strategy were ostriches, Chilean flamingos, Humboldt penguins, pelicans, white-tailed sea eagles, blue-throated macaws, mandarin ducks as well as several types of geese.
Ms Tennant said this separation is considered highly effective in protecting the birds in the park’s care from exposure to wild birds carrying avian influenza. These birds are all vaccinated but will continue to be tested, and the situation will be monitored.
She previously revealed that, with an average weekly operational cost of approximately €120,000, the closure of Fota Wildlife Park has already had a significant impact on its ability to generate revenue.
The park could face monthly revenue losses of €320,000, while the closure is also leading to the loss of revenue from annual passes, retail sales, gift vouchers and on-site catering.
