Belgium is experiencing an increase in avian influenza cases, with the H5 strain recently detected in the provinces of Limburg and Namur, the Belgian Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) said on Monday.

A poultry farm in La Bruyere, Namur, tested positive for the H5 subtype, marking the second confirmed outbreak in the province, while three poultry farms in Limburg have also reported infections in recent days.

Authorities are culling affected flocks and have established 3-kilometre protection zones and 10-kilometre surveillance zones around infected sites, with targeted control measures in place.

Belgium’s Agriculture Minister, David Clarinval, has reinstated the mandatory housing of poultry for both commercial and registered hobby keepers.

The Natuurhulpcentrum wildlife rescue centre in Limburg reported a rise in call-outs, handling around ten cases per day as the virus spreads across the province.

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