Health alert due to a case of avian flu on a farm in Bellpuig

BarcelonaThe Catalan government has activated a health alert after detecting a positive case of avian flu at a chicken farm in Bellpuig, in the Urgell region of Lleida province. As explained by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food, Òscar Ordeig, at a press conference, a 10-kilometer radius restriction on animal movement has been established around the farm where the case was detected, and controls have been implemented at all farms located within this safety zone. The protocol will also involve culling all animals on the affected farm. This case of avian flu comes just weeks after the outbreak of African swine fever in the Collserola mountain range. However, the Minister sought to reassure the public: "Avian flu does not affect people through the consumption of meat and eggs." Ordeig also explained that after this outbreak was detected, the other farms initially located in the immediate vicinity of the affected farm were inspected, and so far no trace of the disease has been found. Surveillance will be reinforced within a radius of 0 to 3 kilometers from the positive case. He explained that there are no farms within a one-kilometer radius of the outbreak, which "facilitates containment" of the disease. The regional minister pointed to a wild animal as the possible origin of this avian flu outbreak, of which there are fourteen active outbreaks in Spain; no cases had been detected in Catalonia since 2023. "We don't yet know the origin; there are many wild birds, and there may have been some kind of contact, but the experts will determine that," Ordeig noted. "We will do the same as we have done in the other cases: collaborate with all the stakeholders and act quickly and in a coordinated manner," he asserted. The regional minister also explained that they will meet with representatives from the sector on Boxing Day to assess the situation. He emphasized the importance of respecting protocols and taking all established measures, as it is "a highly contagious, highly deadly disease that must be eradicated."

"Awaiting guidance from the Ministry"

"They acted very quickly, we are pleased with the response, and now we have to wait for it to be contained here," explained the mayor of Bellpuig, Jordi Estiarte, in statements to the newspaper ARA. "We are waiting for confirmation from the Ministry because we must now wait for the confirmation from the laboratories of the Ministry of Agriculture," he added. Regarding the affected farm, the regional minister also requested at Wednesday's press conference that its identity be protected. If no other outbreaks appear, the activated health alert could be lifted after 30 days. Although it rarely affects humans, Ordeig asked the public and the media not to approach the affected farm, either on foot or by car, to prevent the spread of the virus.