Officials are investigating the suspected presence of a notifiable bird disease in a broiler breeder flock in Northern Ireland.
It is currently not known what the disease is as tests on the County Fermanagh farm are ongoing.
However, possibilities include both avian influenza and Newcastle disease. Results are expected in several days.
A spokesman for the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) said its officials are currently investigating.
“A private veterinary practitioner contacted DAERA on 2 January 2020 expressing concerns related to the increased mortality of birds at the holding,” he said.
“DAERA immediately initiated a veterinary enquiry with a Divisional Veterinary Officer visiting the holding in the evening of 2 January 2020.”
Farmers and bird keepers in the region have been urged to increase on-farm biosecurity.
The spokesman added: “All bird keepers are urged to remain vigilant and if they suspect any signs of the disease in their flocks they must report it immediately to DAERA.
“All bird keepers in NI are required by law to register with DAERA and a registration form can be downloaded from the DAERA website.
“All poultry keepers, including backyard flock keepers and those keeping game birds and pet birds need to act now and maintain high levels of biosecurity at all times in order to reduce the risk of transmission of avian flu to their flocks.”
Last month, bird flu was confirmed on a chicken farm in Suffolk, making it the first case of avian influenza affecting poultry or kept birds in the UK since June 2017.
Newcastle disease is the only disease of birds notifiable in the UK other than bird flu. It is normally absent in the UK, but can occur every few years.
It is a viral infection that kills some, if not most birds in flocks it infects.
In 2018, the government raised the risk of Newcastle disease occurring in the UK from low to medium, meaning an outbreak is 'likely to occur'.
