Luxembourg's Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development has confirmed that the country remains free of the avian influenza virus.
Whilst the virus is not currently present in the Grand Duchy, the same cannot be said for its neighbouring countries. The avian influenza virus is detected in migratory and non-migratory birds as well as in poultry. As the wild bird migration season has started, the risk of this disease outbreak is again high for Luxembourg.
Consequently, the Veterinary Services Administration of Luxembourg's Ministry of Agriculture, Viticulture and Rural Development has urged poultry keepers to respect preventive biosecurity measures, namely:
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to protect domestic poultry from contact with wild birds, it is recommended to confine poultry indoors or cover pens with netting. Feeding and watering should be done inside buildings. Watering poultry with water from surface water reservoirs accessible to wild birds is prohibited;
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any suspicion of avian influenza (e.g. abnormal mortality) should be reported to a veterinarian;
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all poultry imports must be certified (TRACES) by an official veterinarian in the country of origin. This obligation also applies to the purchase of poultry on a market.
The Veterinary Services Administration emphasised that the consumption of meat and eggs is safe for humans.
