The Department of Agriculture has confirmed the Donegal location of the latest case of avian influenza that has been detected in a wild bird.
The latest positive case of bird flu was found in a bird in Bridgend in recent days.
“The positive wild bird in Co. Donegal was found in Bridgend,” a department spokesperson confirmed to Donegal Daily.
It is the third in Ireland since the Minister for Agriculture introduced new strict biosecurity regulations for poultry on 6 December 2024.
It comes as an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone was introduced in Northern Ireland on Saturday following three confirmed cases of bird flu in wild birds in three different countries.
The first was in Galway, one in Dublin and the most recent one confirmed in Donegal in mid-January.
Up until the discovery of the buzzard with H5N1 virus, Ireland was the only area in Europe where bird flu had not been detected this winter.
In a statement, the Department of Agriculture said: “With six instances of avian influenza in wild birds on the island since early December, it is clear that the virus is circulating in some wild birds in Ireland and that the highest standards of biosecurity are needed to protect Irish poultry and kept birds.
“The Department carries out year-round surveillance for avian influenza in poultry and also tests a selection of wild birds in order to understand the level of risk to Irish poultry, working closely with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).
“This helps to inform risk mitigation actions to protect poultry, such as the introduction of the biosecurity regulations in December.”
As part of the Department’s surveillance programme, there is an emergency hotline and an Avian Check Bird App to facilitate reports from the public of wild bird casualties.
“These reports from members of the public aid understanding of trends in wild bird mortality across the country, and to investigate where appropriate,” the Department said.
“The Department does not collect and test every dead wild bird reported; rather, a selection are tested to provide an understanding of the level of virus circulation and to aid early detection of risk.”
Members of the public have been advised not to handle sick or dead wild birds and report any instances they see to their Regional Veterinary Office or the National Disease Emergency Hotline on 01 4928026, if outside business hours.
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