EU to adopt emergency measures against Dutch bird flu outbreak

Dutch authorities announced on 16 November 2014 they had found a highly contagious strain of bird flu at a poultry farm in the central Netherlands and set about destroying 150,00 chickens.

Later, in the United Kingdom, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) confirmed at least one case of the virus at the farm in the Driffield area of East Yorkshire. It insisted the risk to public health was 'very low', and said it was culling all poultry at the farm.

Ricardo Cardoso, spokesperson for the European Commission, stated that EU authorities would adopt urgent protective measures on the following day.

Further outbreaks took place in Germany, the United Kingdom and The Netherlands in the following weeks.

• Primary Source

EUObserver, 17.11.14: EU to take measures after bird flu outbreak in Netherlands http://euobserver.com/environment/126535

The Guardian, 17.11.14: What is bird flu and why is it in the news again? http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/17/what-is-bird-flu

The Guardian, 17.11.14: Bird flu confirmed on Yorkshire duck farm http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/17/bird-flu-confirmed-yorkshire-duck-farm

Deutsche Welle, 17.11.14: European Commission to discuss 'urgent' bird flu measures http://dw.de/p/1DoVK

Euronews, 17.11.14: EU to introduce measures to deal with Dutch bird flu outbreak http://www.euronews.com/2014/11/17/eu-to-introduce-measures-to-deal-with-dutch-bird-flu-outbreak/

BBC News, 17.11.14: Bird flu: EU talks as Netherlands battles outbreak http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30076909

Deutsche Welle, 16.11.14: Bird flu case in Holland turns out to be highly contagious H5N8 strain http://dw.de/p/1DoOw

Euronews, 16.11.14: Dutch ban poultry transport after finding deadly bird flu strain http://www.euronews.com/2014/11/16/dutch-ban-poultry-transport-after-finding-deadly-bird-flu-strain/

European Commission: RAPID: MEMO/14/1888: Avian Influenza in The Netherlands and the UK: Commission backs emergency safeguard measures http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-14-1888_en.htm

Euronews, 18.11.14: EU adopts bird flu outbreak measures http://www.euronews.com/2014/11/18/eu-adopts-bird-flu-outbreak-measures/

Deutsche Welle, 17.11.14: European H5N8 bird flu outbreak highly contagious, but not necessarily for humans http://dw.de/p/1DohG

UK: GOV.UK: Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, 17.11.14: Avian flu outbreak in duck breeding farm in Yorkshire https://www.gov.uk/government/news/avian-flu-outbreak-in-duck-breeding-farm-in-yorkshire

The Conversation, 17.11.14: Bird flu is back, but should we be worried? https://theconversation.com/bird-flu-is-back-but-should-we-be-worried-34332

ECDC: Health Topics: Avian Influenza in humans http://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/avian_influenza/Pages/index.aspx

Dutch News.nl, 18.11.14: Poultry movement ban broken in bird flu outbreak, infected farm to stay closed for a month http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2014/11/poultry-movement-ban-broken-in-bird-flu-outbreak-infected-farm-to-stay-closed-for-a-month.php/

The Netherlands: Government: News, 18.11.14: No new cases of bird flu, national transport ban lifted http://www.government.nl/news/2014/11/18/no-new-cases-of-bird-flu-national-transport-ban-lifted.html

The Guardian, 19.11.14: Bird flu: Ukraine bans poultry imports from UK, Germany and Netherlands http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/19/bird-flue-ukraine-bans-poultry-imports-uk-germany-netherlands

The Netherlands: Government: Issues: Bird Flu: Bird flu in The Netherlands http://www.government.nl/issues/bird-flu/bird-flu-in-the-netherlands

Deutsche Welle, 30.11.14: Dutch officials detect bird flu at another poultry farm http://dw.de/p/1DxMI

Dutch News.nl, 30.11.14: New case of bird flu in the Netherlands: a bitter blow, says minister http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2014/11/new-case-of-bird-flu-in-the-netherlands-a-bitter-blow-says-minister.php/

The Netherlands: Government: News: Tag: Bird Flu (latest information added) http://www.government.nl/issues/bird-flu/news?utm_source=e-mailnieuwsbrief&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Government.nl+Newsletter

---