Still just two confirmed cases of avian flu in the province

Some 22,100 ducks were culled at one of the affected sites, a commercial premises in Aughnacloy, Co Tyrone, while culling and an exclusion zone is also being applied to the second site in Broughshane, Co Antrim, described as a “small backyard flock”.

The flock owners are to receive compensation for the lost livestock. A valuation at the Aughnacloy site has been described as ongoing.

An avian influenza prevention zone was put in place across Northern Ireland on November 17 and a mandatory housing order came into effect on November 29.

On Wednesday Belfast City Council announced that the Waterworks Park in the north of the city will shut due to the spread of the killer bird flu strain and there have been reports of swans dying and behaving strangely in other areas.

Jim Blee, from the Department of Agriculture, described the cull in Aughnacloy as having been completed on Wednesday night, and paid tribute to staff who carried out the “very difficult work” across four to five days, and through Storm Barra.

Appearing before the Stormont agriculture committee yesterday morning, Mr Blee, deputy director of the animal health and welfare division, said Great Britain is on day 44 of the outbreak, and there have been 38 cases confirmed in Britain since the first confirmed case in England on October 26.

He said as of yesterday morning there were 33 confirmed cases in England, two in Scotland and three in Wales, and more than 300 confirmed cases in wild birds across Britain. There have also been four confirmed cases in the Republic of Ireland – three in Co Monaghan and one in Co Cavan – and 57 cases in wild birds across nine counties.

“This is now the largest ever outbreak of avian influenza on these islands,” he told MLAs.

In Northern Ireland he said there are two confirmed cases as of yesterday, and nine cases in wild birds, including at the Waterworks park in north Belfast, west Belfast Lough, Hillsborough and the Loughshore in Portadown, Co Armagh.

“We have been working closely with colleagues across Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland as this outbreak develops, this has included daily stock take calls across the UK and close collaboration with colleagues in the devolved administrations on their approach to this outbreak,” he said.

“We have had frequent engagement with our colleagues in the Republic of Ireland, particularly where disease control zones from an infected premise in our respective jurisdictions have extended into the other.”

Julian Henderson, senior principal veterinary officer, said resources are a “real issue right across the British Isles”.