VMVT urges against organising events with birds

The State Food and Veterinary Service (VVVT) has been receiving more and more notifications in recent days about planned events involving poultry, chickens, geese or other winged birds. Invitations to come to various festivities with your winged birds are also actively posted on social media. Such festivals and events where poultry from different farms or keepers are brought together are an ideal environment for the spread of the avian influenza virus. This week, a case of avian influenza was recorded in the Kaisiadorys district. Over 100 poultry on one farm were destroyed to prevent the spread of the virus. The VMVT urges both the population and the organisers of such events to remain vigilant and to refrain from any activities and events involving birds.

„Unfortunately, the seriousness of the situation is not sufficiently appreciated by the public: transporting birds to various events, taking them to places where they are not used to – this not only puts stress on the bird, but also threatens to infect them and spread the disease. This year alone, avian influenza has wiped out more than 300,000 birds on farms – mainly laying hens. Once the disease has entered a farm, the birds have no chance of survival – the flu kills all the birds on the farm. This is a huge blow to the farms themselves and to the whole egg or poultry production sector. To protect poultry, farms and prevent the spread of disease, we plan to introduce stricter preventive measures. We urge the public, and especially the organisers of such events, not to wait for a ban – being aware today can help preserve the health of birds and the future of the poultry sector in Lithuania as a whole“, – said the Deputy Director of the VMVT, Mr. Paulius Bušauskas.

P. Bušauskas reminded that avian influenza spreads rapidly: through the excretions of infected birds, especially faeces, but also through contaminated feed, water, equipment, clothing, footwear or even objects in the environment. Therefore, the presence of even one bird at such an event can spread the virus between different farms.

Two cases of avian influenza have already been detected in Lithuania this year: one in a large poultry farm in the Šilutė district, where as many as 246,000 birds were kept, and the other this week in the Kaisiadorys district, on a small poultry farm with 160 birds.

In response to the situation, the VMVT plans to introduce in the near future a ban on the organisation of exhibitions, sports competitions, matches, fairs, auctions, contests, circus performances and programmes, competitions, broadcasts, advertisements or any other public events where poultry (chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, pheasants, guinea fowl, partridges, chickadees, waders, doves, pigeons, etc.) from different housing sites are on display.

The HPAI invites the public to be responsible & protect birds, farms and contribute to controlling the spread of the disease.