A SIXTH CASE of bird flu in Ireland since last year has been confirmed by the Department of Agriculture.
The most recent case of the H5N8 strain of the virus was found in a whooper swan in Nenagh, Co Tipperary. This is the fourth case this year – all four were whooper swans.
It is the second case in Tipperary, as another swan found to have bird flu was discovered in January in the Borrisokane area of the county.
After the first case at the end of 2016, the department emphasised the requirement to confine poultry and other birds, and to apply strict bio-security measures to prevent the introduction of avian influenza.
However, no human infections with this strain of the virus have been reported world-wide so the risk to humans in considered to be very low. The public is advised not to handle sick or dead birds.
Department staff are collecting birds for testing to help understand how the disease is distributed geographically, in different species and over time.
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