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Dutch authorities cull 50,000 birds
chicken
Six-thousand birds were culled at an East Yorkshire duck farm last month.
Poultry culled to curb H5N8 outbreak

A cull of 50,000 birds was carried out at a Dutch poultry farm yesterday, in a bid to curb the spread of avian flu.

Dutch authorities say the cull was a precautionary measure, after the highly pathogenic H5N8 strain of the virus was confirmed at an egg production farm in Zoeterwoude, 1km away.

All birds at the infected farm have already been culled. Dutch authorities are inspecting a third farm within a 10km radius. Two other farms also reside within the area, but they do not house poultry at this time.

Last month, a case of H5N8 was detected at a poultry farm in Hekendorp.

An outbreak of H5N8 was confirmed in East Yorkshire shortly after, resulting in the culling of 6,000 birds. Investigations are ongoing to determine whether the case is linked with the outbreak in the Netherlands.

Public Health England has said the risk to public health is very low and there is no food safety risk.

Highly pathogenic avian flu is often fatal. It is spread by direct contact with contaminated body fluids or faeces. 

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

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News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.