Figures from the Federal Food Safety Agency (FAVV) that were released on Thursday show that around 60 wild birds in Belgium have tested positive for avian flu. The number of avian flu infections among the country’s wild bird population has been rising steadily during the past few weeks.
Avian flu has spread rapidly across Europe in recent weeks. The authorities in countries such as Spain, Germany and the Netherlands have taken measures to attempt to curb the further spread of the virus.
Increased vigilance
The growing number of cases has prompted increased monitoring here in Belgium. On Thursday, FAVV said the virus had been detected in around 60 wild birds across the country. The Agency’s spokeswoman Hélène Bonte told journalists that "Because of the outbreaks in neighbouring countries, we are also being extra vigilant here".
According to conservation group Natuurpunt, cranes in that became infected Germany may caught infected through manure from chicken farm that was spread on fields near a resting area for the birds. In Germany, nearly 1 million infected birds were culled and around 1,000 cranes died following a major avian flu outbreak.
Ms Bonte says that this is unlikely to be repeated here in Belgium, as the use of contaminated manure is strictly regulated under European rules. FAVV believes the virus is more likely to be spread through droppings from infected wild birds flying overhead or through contact with the carcasses of infected dead birds. The avian flu outbreak has seen the price of eggs reach record levels in Belgium.