# Poultry transport banned within 10km of Groningen bird flu outbreak

> The agriculture ministry has ordered the cull after bird flu was confirmed at a laying-hen farm in Lutjegast, and a transport ban now covers poultry sites within 10km.

News · published 2026-10-26 20:33 · https://nlnow.nl/a/bird-flu-at-groningen-farm-45-000-hens-to-be-culled/

Bird flu has been confirmed at a laying-hen farm in Lutjegast, in the municipality of Westerkwartier in Groningen. The agriculture ministry (LVVN) has decided that the NVWA, the food and consumer product safety authority, will cull the roughly 45,000 animals on the site. It is the first outbreak since July this year.

**Why it matters**

- A transport ban is in force with immediate effect in a 10km zone around the farm. No birds, hatching eggs or table eggs may leave sites with birds.
- Bird manure and used litter may not be removed either.
- Animals other than birds, and their products, may still be moved to and from sites with birds, under the strict conditions of the hygiene protocol.

The restriction zone has a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone. No other poultry farms lie within 3km of the infected site. There are 21 farms in the 10km zone. The ministry says the measures are needed to stop the virus spreading to other parts of the country.

The NVWA is tracing risky contacts, checking whether products or poultry were moved to or from the site before the outbreak was reported. Extra measures may follow, such as additional sampling or blocking a farm that had risky contact.

The ministry says this outbreak is not yet a reason to impose a mandatory housing order (ophokplicht) for poultry. It is watching the situation closely and has asked the expert group on animal diseases (Deskundigengroep Dierziekten) for a new risk assessment.

## Background

- **NVWA (Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit)**: The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority is the Netherlands' government inspection body for food safety, consumer products, and animal health and welfare. It checks farms, slaughterhouses, shops and producers, and it can take action when rules are broken. During animal disease outbreaks, such as avian influenza on poultry farms, it is the body that carries out the culling of affected animals.

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