Belgium has been declared free of bird flu following the last outbreak at a poultry farm on December 29, with the number of infections in wild birds also reported to be low. Despite this, preventive measures are still in place, requiring poultry farmers to keep their animals indoors or shielded, and hobby keepers are advised to use nets. Belgian Agriculture Minister, David Clarinval, has credited the national vaccination campaign in neighboring France for helping to reduce bird flu in Belgium, and stressed the importance of maintaining these preventive measures to limit the spread of pathogens and prevent mass culls of animals.