An outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, has been detected on a turkey farm in Co Cavan.
The Department of Agriculture confirmed the outbreak today, and restriction and surveillance zones are in place around the site.
It comes as a housing order is in effect for all poultry, amid the heightened risk from bird flu.
This is the fifth outbreak of the disease in less than a month on a commercial poultry farm in the Republic of Ireland, while there have also been multiple cases confirmed on farms in Northern Ireland in recent weeks.
In early November, within the space of a week, three separate incidents of the disease were detected on turkey farms in Carlow, Meath, and Monaghan.
While on 21 November an outbreak was confirmed on a turkey farm in Laois.
Around 1.5 million turkeys are produced in Ireland for Christmas every year.
Around the start of December turkeys begin to be prepared for Christmas, with officials maintaining the risk to the food-supply chain remains low.
However, Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has said the situation with bird flu is a "dynamic and evolving situation, particularly during the high-risk period for avian influenza," which we are currently in.
The risk to the public from the highly pathogenic strain of bird flu currently circulating is low and low-to-medium for occupationally exposed people, according to the HSE-HSPC.
There is no risk to food such as chicken or eggs, so long as they are prepared and cooked properly.
Anyone who comes across a dead or obviously sick bird is asked not to touch it and report the incident via the Department of Agriculture's Avian Check app.
