27,000 ducks have been culled following the discovery of bird flu in Aughnacloy.
This is the fourth identified outbreak within a commercial flock, with the other three being found in Monaghan in recent days.
Northern Ireland’s Department of Agriculture confirmed this evening the detection of the virus at the commercial duck premises in Co Tyrone, close to the Monaghan border.
It comes after the third case of the H5N1 strain in the Republic of Ireland was discovered in an 100,000-strong egg-laying hen flock close to Oram yesterday.
This follows cases in a 30,000 bird turkey farm and a 15,000 bird broiler farm, both in Monaghan as well, last month.
IFA Poultry Chair Andy Boylan says the situation has changed dramatically in just a few days.
As a result of the most recent outbreak, precautionary and appropriate disease control measures have been put in place, including the humane culling of the 27,000 affected ducks and the introduction of Temporary Control Zones to mitigate disease spread.
Flock keepers are being reminded to take ‘urgent’ steps to protect their birds and to adhere to all possible biosecurity measures.
