Dutch farmers in new bird flu alert

The Dutch government has ordered the country’s farmers to keep all poultry indoors after bird flu was discovered at a duck farm.

Authorities issued the order after a suspected highly pathogenic variant of H5 bird flu was discovered at the farm in Biddinghuizen, about 45 miles east of Amsterdam.

All 16,000 ducks at the farm will be culled.

Zoos have also been ordered to prevent their birds from coming into contact with wild waterfowl.

The Netherlands has a huge poultry industry, producing eggs and meat that are exported around the world.

Many egg producers suffered major financial losses earlier this year after the illegal use of a pesticide on laying hens sparked a food scare in Europe and beyond.