Kristina VankovaIn a drastic response to the outbreak of avian influenza, a large-scale poultry farm in Kosořín near Choceň in the Orlickoústecku region is set to undergo an emergency culling operation. This move comes after the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu virus was confirmed at the facility, prompting immediate action to prevent further spread of the disease. The culling, which is expected to start on Thursday morning, will see the elimination of approximately 73,000 birds from all ten halls of the farm.
The bird flu was confirmed on Tuesday in one of the halls of Mach Drůbež company. “The virus is very aggressive, causing the poultry to become sick and die rapidly. The only option is to quickly euthanize them. We will start on Thursday morning, as we need to bring in gas and an evaporator necessary for the process. The dead poultry will then be transported to the Žichlínek rendering plant for safe disposal,” stated Zbyněk Semerád, Director of the State Veterinary Administration.
The operation will be conducted by an emergency center from Brno in collaboration with the integrated rescue system. The culling process is expected to take about three days, involving the disposal of approximately 300 tons of poultry.
The infection is currently confined to one hall, but given the proximity of ten halls in the area, it is necessary to cull all the poultry on the premises, totaling 73,000 birds. The mass manifestation of the disease in poultry began on the night of Tuesday, with hundreds of hens dying in one of the halls. Immediate testing confirmed the presence of the H5N1 bird flu virus.
A three-kilometer protective zone will be established around the outbreak site, encompassing ten villages, and a ten-kilometer surveillance zone extending into the Hradec Králové Region. In the protective zone, a census of all poultry, including small-scale farms, will be conducted, while in the surveillance zone, the focus will be on commercial large-scale farms.
Semerád appealed to all small-scale poultry farmers within the three and ten-kilometer radius to comply with all measures, ideally keeping poultry in covered cages, as the infection often spreads through the droppings of wild birds.
Since the beginning of the year, the bird flu virus has appeared in thirteen locations, but until now, it has been confined to non-commercial small-scale farms. Mach Drůbež, the affected company, will receive compensation from the state budget for both the poultry and the lost profit.
“The compensation will cover the culled laying hens, as well as other expenses such as protective equipment and the cost of culling itself. Lost profits will also be compensated, as the farm will be shut down for some time. All halls must be disinfected, and all feed must be destroyed,” explained Agriculture Minister Marek Výborný (KSU-ČSL).
The farm is not expected to resume operations before May, as it will take time to acquire a large number of poultry. However, Výborný assured that the impact on the market and prices should be minimal, as only three percent of the Czech Republic’s poultry production is affected.
Mach Drůbež, based in Litomyšl, holds a thirty-five percent share in the Czech market for day-old chicks. Its hatchery capacity is 2.5 million chicks per week, and its farms have a capacity of 2.1 million hens annually, producing around 300 million hatching eggs. The company has a significant presence in Slovakia and exports to EU countries. Founded in 1992 in Litomyšl, it is headquartered in the historic Hraběnčin dvůr, a building dating back to 1660. Kosořín is one of its centers.
This is not the first occurrence of bird flu in Kosořín; the area experienced an outbreak in 2007. “Back then, private farms were also affected, and even exotic birds were culled. That is not a threat this time,” assured regional governor Martin Netolický (SOCDEM). He also emphasized the importance of all poultry farmers, regardless of the size of their operations, to closely monitor their flocks and contact the veterinary administration immediately in case of any abnormalities.
This emergency culling operation highlights the ongoing challenges faced by the poultry industry in managing and containing infectious diseases like bird flu. The swift and decisive action taken in this case reflects the seriousness with which authorities are treating the outbreak, prioritizing public health and the safety of the food supply. As the situation unfolds, it will be crucial to monitor the effectiveness of these measures and the broader implications for the poultry industry and food security in the Czech Republic and beyond.
