Bird flu found at poultry farm in Drenthe

Last night, avian influenza was confirmed at a broiler breeder farm in Gasselternijveenschemond, Drenthe. To prevent the spread of the avian influenza virus, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is culling 71,000 animals and establishing restricted zones.

Current situation of bird flu in wild animals

Bird flu has not been detected in wild birds in the Netherlands since July 2025. In the area where avian influenza has now been detected in poultry, no positive wild bird has been found since May 2025. A number of dead wild birds near the poultry farm are currently being tested on bird flu (see distribution map). The results will be published in the monthly overview bird flu as soon as they are available.

Please keep reporting

We kindly request that you continue to report both wild birds and wild mammals suspected of having bird flu via our online form. Please note: bird flu is a zoonosis, meaning it can potentially be transmitted from animals to humans. Therefore, it is important to exercise caution when approaching sick or dead wild animals and to adhere to hygiene measures. If you find a dead animal that you wish to have collected for examination, it is important to double-wrap the animal in plastic but not to touch it with bare hands. A guide on handling wild animals infected with bird flu can be found on the website of the Dutch government: Guideline for handling wild animals with avian influenza (in Dutch).

More information about the outbreak at the farm in Gasselternijveenschemond can be found on the government website: https://www.rijksoverheid.nl/onderwerpen/vogelgriep/nieuws/2025/10/07/vogelgriep-vastgesteld-in-gasselternijveenschemond (in Dutch)