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The Dutch government has ordered poultry farmers to shut down their animals to limit the spread of a highly contagious strain of bird flu, BTA reports.

"Unfortunately, the high number of infections clearly shows that additional precautions are needed," said Dutch Agriculture Minister Piet Adema, adding that there had been several outbreaks in the past two months and that there were daily reports of dead wild birds in various regions of the country.

The risk to humans is considered low, but past outbreaks among poultry have required extensive culling programs to stop them.

The Netherlands culls about 102,000 chickens because of bird flu

"The bird flu virus has not disappeared from the Netherlands this summer and the situation will not improve with the upcoming bird migration," Adema commented.

The country has reported over 10 cases of bird flu in the past month.

France is also seeing a resurgence of cases after the country experienced its worst wave of bird flu this year.

The spread of bird flu around the world has caused concern among governments and the poultry industry because of its ability to devastate flocks, create trade restrictions and cause transmission of the virus to humans.

The Netherlands

bird flu outbreak