Belgium takes precautions for HPAI
The Belgian minister for agriculture, Willy Borsus, has announced quarantine measures for all poultry at professional holdings in his country. Although there have not been any cases of HPAI in Belgium so far, the minister thinks strict measures are necessary as a precaution because of the outbreaks in the Netherlands.
To minimise the risk of the virus entering the national poultry industry, access to any places with birds is forbidden for vehicles which in the four previous days have been in contact with poultry or visited a place where poultry is held in the whole of the Netherlands or any of the risk zones in the UK or Germany.
The Belgian poultry industry also has to disinfect all vehicles which have been transporting poultry, other birds or eggs. If the vehicle has been to a risk zone, supervision by the national agency for food safety FAVV of the disinfection process is required.
Furthermore, poultry holders can not use any untreated water for their animals. A permission will be required for events and markets involving poultry. Minister Borsius: “The industry supports these measures. I also want to reassure the public that avian influenza does not pose any risk for consumers.”
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