Denmark culls 150,000 chickens after detecting first bird flu outbreak
The outbreak in Jutland marks Denmark’s first poultry infection in months as Europe faces renewed H5N1 threats.
DENMARK – Denmark has announced plans to cull about 150,000 chickens after confirming an outbreak of the highly contagious H5N1 bird flu virus in a poultry flock located in southeastern Jutland.
The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration said in a statement that this is the country’s first confirmed bird flu case in domestic poultry since April, when it lifted farming restrictions imposed in December 2024.
According to the agency, poultry owners will once again be required to keep birds indoors or under protective cover from December, as the risk of infection typically rises with colder weather.
The outbreak in Denmark follows a similar report in the Netherlands, where authorities have ordered the culling of 71,000 chickens at a farm in the northern region after confirming bird flu earlier this week.
Dutch officials said it was the country’s first detection of avian influenza since March and that while a nationwide indoor housing rule has not been issued, an expert group on animal diseases will soon meet to assess the threat and recommend possible next steps.
The two outbreaks come amid a broader resurgence of avian flu across Europe as temperatures drop and migratory birds increase the spread of the virus among domestic flocks.
Controversy in Canada Over Ostrich Culling
Meanwhile, a dispute over an avian flu culling order in Canada has drawn national attention after the country’s Supreme Court temporarily blocked the destruction of ostriches at a British Columbia farm.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) had ordered about 400 ostriches at Universal Ostrich Farms in Edgewood to be killed after two birds tested positive for the virus.
Farm owners Karen Espersen and Dave Bilinski contested the order, claiming that their birds show natural immunity and that culling them would destroy years of research into ostrich antibodies.
Their lawyer, Umar Sheikh, said the Supreme Court’s “interim-interim stay” provided temporary relief but stressed that the legal fight is ongoing.
The CFIA stated it would comply with the ruling but maintained that its culling policy is essential to contain animal disease outbreaks.
Officials also said they are cooperating with police after receiving threats from individuals supporting the farm.
In the United States, severe bird flu outbreaks have previously forced the destruction of millions of poultry, pushing egg prices in some regions to more than US$5 per dozen.
Canada has faced smaller but significant farm losses, adding pressure to a global poultry sector already struggling with recurring disease flare-ups.
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