Bird flu: Dutch farmers ordered to keep poultry indoors

The Hague - 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 on Friday after a suspected highly pathogenic variant of the H5 bird flu was discovered at the farm in Biddinghuizen, about 70km east of Amsterdam. All 16 000 ducks at the farm will be culled.

Zoos also have 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.