Netherlands Orders Nationwide Poultry Confinement After Three Outbreaks

The Netherlands has ordered poultry nationwide to be kept indoors or otherwise shielded after three recent bird-flu outbreaks, citing a significant risk of further infections amid seasonal wild-bird migration. The rules also apply to people keeping birds as a hobby and tighten farm biosecurity: visitor access is restricted, hygiene requirements are reinforced, and exemptions to the ban on exhibiting high-risk birds have been suspended. One outbreak led to the culling of 51,000 egg-laying hens, with transport restrictions imposed nearby. Agriculture State Secretary Silvio Erkens said the measures aim to limit further spread and reduce harm to animals and poultry businesses; he is also consulting the industry on a possible vaccination requirement for laying hens.