Kirkuk activates emergency protocols after avian flu outbreak in Nineveh
Shafaq News – Kirkuk
Kirkuk’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Iraq raised its alert level and launched preventive protocols following a confirmed outbreak of avian influenza in neighboring Nineveh, sources told Shafaq News.
The response follows a reported outbreak at a poultry farm near Bashiqa earlier this month, where 20,000 chickens died, prompting veterinary, health, and environmental teams to oversee disinfection, worker testing, and sanitary burials.
A senior hospital official confirmed that Kirkuk’s veterinary teams have begun inspecting poultry farms, bird markets, and households with domestic fowl, collecting samples for lab testing in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture and the General Directorate of Veterinary Services.
“All field teams are mobilized,” the official stated, adding that the emergency plan has been reactivated, which includes disinfection, quarantine measures, and potential farm closures, with compensation available for culling if required.
Meanwhile, a separate source reported no human infections to date but urged residents to report sudden bird deaths or unusual symptoms without delay.
Veterinary researcher Abdullah Hassan cautioned that highly pathogenic strains can spread rapidly without strict biosecurity, citing migratory birds as a persistent risk in cross-regional transmission.
The Ministry of Agriculture reiterated its call for immediate reporting of mass poultry deaths, advising farmers to enforce disinfection protocols and prevent contact between wild and domestic birds.
