Europe is a continent that comprises the westernmost part of Eurasia. The Netherlands, a country in northwestern Europe, is known for a flat landscape of canals, tulip fields, windmills and cycling routes. About 190,000 ducks have been culled in the Netherlands as the authorities try to prevent the spread of bird flu across northern European countries. Bird Flu outbreaks have been also reported in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Finland.
Around 190,000 Ducks Cull In Netherlands Due To Bird Flu Outbreak
According to Independent, around 190,000 ducks have been destroyed across six Dutch bird farms in response to an avian flu epidemic. This outbreak prevention happened on Saturday at six farms in the Netherlands. The action is the first cull by the Netherlands authorities as bird flu sweeps through Northern Europe. The outbreaks of avian flu, primarily the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain, have been reported in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Finland also.
The world's second-largest agricultural exporter, which is the Netherlands has more than 100 million hens, pigs, cows and sheep on high-intensity farms. The density makes the animals more vulnerable to disease outbreaks. As reported by the Successful Frarming, Since 1997, 40 million hens, cows, goats, pigs and sheep have been slaughtered to contain outbreaks including swine flu, foot-and-mouth and "mad cow" disease.
On the good news, Dutch authorities have not confirmed which strain of the virus had been discovered at a poultry farm near Biddinghuizen, a village 70km (43 miles) east of Amsterdam, as reported by The Guardian.
The Bird Flu
As described by the WebMD, Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a viral infection spread from bird to bird. Currently, a particularly deadly strain of bird flu -- H5N1 -- continues to spread among poultry in Egypt and in certain parts of Asia. Technically, H5N1 is a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus. It's deadly to most birds. echnically, H5N1 is a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus. It's deadly to most birds. And it's deadly to humans and to other mammals that catch the virus from birds.
