4 September 2006

BRUSSELS — Belgium will soon order its poultry to be screened off from wild birds to ward off a potential outbreak of the bird flu virus.

The Federal Food Agency has not yet set a date, but the preventative measure is expected to come into force in the next couple of weeks.

That will coincide with the start of the autumn migratory period of wild birds.

Poultry will then need to be screened off from wild birds with netting or fencing while outside.

Migrating infected wild birds brought the bird flu virus to Western Europe last year.

Belgium escaped any outbreak of the disease, partly because of the strict lock-up order imposed on all of the nation's poultry farmers.
 
However, the preventative measure will only be imposed on a region totaling about 10 percent of Belgium's land mass this autumn.
 
Poultry will need to be screened away from wild birds in risk environmental areas, such as wet areas popular with migratory birds.

[Copyright Expatica News 2006]

Subject: Belgian news