CASES OF BIRD flu have been detected among a flock of turkeys on a farm in Co Monaghan, the Department of Agriculture has confirmed.

Restriction zones are being set up around the area where additional movement control and surveillance measures will be put in place.

“It is important to note that there is no evidence of risk associated with consumption of poultry meat or poultry meat products,” the department said in a statement.

The highly pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 has already been confirmed in birds across the island and in Europe in recent weeks. 

“Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza have also been identified in poultry flocks in Italy, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Hungary, Estonia, Czechia, Norway, Bulgaria, Belgium and the UK since early October,” the Department of Agriculture said this afternoon.

The department added that while the H5N1 subtype of bird flu can cause serious illness in birds, no human infections with this virus have been reported in Europe. The risk to humans is therefore considered to be low.  

Earlier this month, a rare white-tailed sea eagle tested positive for avian influenza (H5N1) in Co Kerry. Wild birds in Counties Offaly, Donegal and Galway also tested positive for Avian Influenza.

Last week, Northern Ireland Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots announced that an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone is to be established after a number of detections in the Republic of Ireland and in Europe.

The stringent measures will apply to both commercial flock owners as well as hobbyists and pet bird owners. Similar measures have already been in place across the United Kingdom since early November.

In January, over 100,000 were culled in Northern Ireland following an outbreak of the Avian Influenza in a poultry flock in Clough, Co Down.