Bird flu has been detected on a poultry farm near Kleve in Germany, a border town adjacent to the Netherlands, Dutch authorities confirmed late Wednesday.

On the same day, three additional poultry farms and a petting zoo in the Netherlands near the German border also reported cases of the highly pathogenic virus.

Earlier, outbreaks were confirmed in the Dutch provinces of Overijssel and Limburg. In Limburg, affected poultry farms house a total of 270,000 birds, all of which will be culled to prevent further spread. In Overijssel, a farm in Bornerbroek with 18,000 chickens has been impacted, and all birds there will also be destroyed.

In Nijmegen, Gelderland province, bird flu was detected at a petting zoo. Authorities from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) are culling 52 chickens at the site to contain the virus.

To prevent further transmission, a 10-kilometer transport ban has been imposed around the affected farms, restricting movement of poultry, eggs, manure, and bedding materials. Germany has also established a restricted area, part of which extends into the Netherlands.

In response, the Dutch Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security and Nature has set up a restricted zone around Millingen aan de Rijn and east of Groesbeek, areas previously under surveillance due to an earlier avian influenza outbreak in Kleve on November 21.

The NVWA is conducting tracing investigations to identify high-risk contacts connected to the farms. Authorities have warned that additional measures, including extra testing or restrictions on high-risk businesses, may be implemented if necessary.

After an absence of around six months, bird flu reappeared in the Netherlands in October 2025 and has since spread to multiple poultry farms. To curb transmission, poultry farmers nationwide have been required to keep their birds indoors since October 16, 2025.

The rapid spread of the virus across the Netherlands has sparked concerns about the potential rise in egg and poultry prices, adding economic pressure on the agricultural sector.

Authorities continue to urge vigilance and strict compliance with biosecurity measures to protect both poultry populations and public health. (ILKHA)