A staggering 27,000 ducks have ben culled on a Co Tyrone poultry farm over fears of avian flu.
Northern Ireland’s Chief Veterinary Officer Robert Huey said it had been done as a “precautionary measure.”
It followed tests on the birds which indicated a suspected outbreak of the poultry disease near Aughnacloy.
The cull of the ducks follows several confirmed cases at poultry businesses just across the border in Co Monaghan.
The disease has also been found in wild birds found dead in Donegal and other counties in recent weeks.
Northern Ireland has an extensive poultry industry.
“I am extremely concerned about the serious risk of spread and this is a very worrying development,” said Mr Huey.
Bird flu is an annual risk brought by migratory wild birds.
If it gets into commercial flocks it can cause rapid illness and death, and can affect trade in poultry meat and other products.
