Agri minister welcomes negative Monaghan bird flu test results

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Martin Heydon TD, has welcomed confirmation that samples taken from a poultry flock in Monaghan have tested negative.

The Minister said: “Poultry farmers across the country are rightly concerned about the threat of avian influenza. I can confirm that samples taken from a poultry flock in Monaghan on Thursday have tested negative for avian influenza. While this is great relief to poultry farmers locally and indeed the whole Irish poultry sector, it is also a timely reminder of the need to take every possible step to protect our poultry. I want to thank all involved in responding so effectively to this incident, including the farmer who reported it, the veterinary practitioner who notified it, and Department officials in the Regional Veterinary Office and in the Laboratories.”

The Minister emphasised the importance of biosecurity: “Biosecurity is the single most effective way to prevent the virus spreading from wild birds into poultry, or between poultry flocks. All those who have poultry or kept birds must take strict precautions and exercise the highest standards of biosecurity to protect your flocks from the threat of avian influenza, and to protect the poultry sector in Ireland. The housing order which I introduced, in force since Monday 17^th February, requires poultry and captive birds to be housed and prohibits gatherings of birds, in order to protect them.”   

Since early December, there have been six detections of avian influenza infection in wild birds in Ireland; one in Co. Galway in early December, one in Co. Dublin in later December, one in Co. Donegal in mid-January, one each in Co. Westmeath and Co. Wexford in late January, and a sixth detection in Co. Wicklow in mid-February.

Members of the public are advised not to handle sick or dead wild birds and to report any episodes of sick or dead wild birds to their Regional Veterinary Office or, if outside business hours, to contact the National Disease Emergency Hotline on 01 492 8026. The Department continues to closely monitor and assess the disease situation and is in regular contact with industry stakeholders and counterparts in Northern Ireland.