19 hours ago
Warning issued after strain of avian influenza detected in wild sea birds
The Department of Agriculture has issued a warning after a strain of avian influenza - or bird flu - was detected in a number of wild sea birds off the west coast of Ireland in recent weeks.
Minister for Agriculture Martin Heyden said that "in the past three weeks, there have been a number of reports of groups of dead wild sea birds washing up on shorelines in counties Kerry, Clare and Galway.
"In two instances, a wild sea bird which washed up on a beach tested positive for H5N1 avian influenza virus, with one case in Kerry and one in Galway."
Members of the public are advised not to touch or pick up dead wild birds and to keep pet dogs on a leash in areas where there are sick or dead wild birds.
Meanwhile, poultry farmers in coastal areas of Kerry, Clare and Galway have been advised to implement stringent biosecurity measures to mitigate the risk of the disease spreading to their flocks.
Farmers are also asked to report any suspicions of avian influenza to their local Regional Veterinary Office.
The department also said the public can continue to report incidents of dead wild birds via its Avian Check app.
The HSE and Health Protection Surveillance Centre have advised that the risk to public health from the strain of avian influenza currently circulating (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza subtype H5N1) is considered low for the general public, and low to medium for occupationally exposed people.
Special biosecurity regulations for poultry were in place due to the increased risk of bird flu from last December to the end of May.
No outbreaks of the high pathogenic HPAI strain were detected in commercial poultry flocks in Ireland last year or so far in 2025.
