Chicken cull after suspected outbreak at poultry farm in County Tyrone

A suspected case of bird flu has been found at a chicken farm in County Tyrone.

Disease control measures have been put in place around the site near Omagh and all birds on the farm will be culled.

Samples are being tested at the National Reference Laboratory to confirm the strain.

Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Minister Andrew Muir said it was “stark reminder that we cannot afford to be complacent”.

Chief veterinary officer Brian Dooher urged flock owners to adhere to strict biosecurity protocols.

“The disease control measures are crucial to limit any potential spread of disease and I appeal to all bird owners – backyard and commercial – to take all necessary steps to protect your flock,” he said.

“This includes ensuring continuous excellent levels of biosecurity and reporting any suspect cases of avian flu to Daera (Department of Agriculture Environment and Rural Affairs) immediately.”

The number of birds to be culled on the commercial site is not known, but BBC News NI understands it is at least in the hundreds.

It is the first case in a commercial premises in Northern Ireland since February.

Bird flu has continued to circulate in the wild bird population.

Avian Influenza Protection Zone restrictions for the whole of Northern Ireland were introduced in January 2025 after the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 was detected in wild birds in County Tyrone.

The restrictions were lifted in June.

There were four outbreaks of bird flu in Northern Ireland in February – three in commercial poultry farms in Newsmills, Pomeroy and Cookstown, and one in a captive bird collection in Magherafelt.

It was the first time the disease had been confirmed in a commercial setting since December 2021.

The commercial poultry sector is worth around £500m a year to the Northern Ireland economy.