Groups of dead birds, a number of which were confirmed to be carrying the highly contagious avian flu, washed up on shorelines across the West of Ireland.
On Thursday, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) said that, following intensive surveillance over the last three weeks., the wild sea birds had been found in counties Kerry, Clare and Galway.
Following tests by the Department of Agriculture, gulls and Guillemot were confirmed to have Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI).
The disease can affect the respiratory, digestive and nervous systems of birds, and has been detected in 25 in the last six months.
RM Block
The Department of Agriculture has urged people not to touch sick or dead wild birds, and to keep pets away from them.
The HSE has said it is difficult for humans to catch avian flu from a bird or animal, and that there is no evidence it can be passed between people. However, it said, if the virus mutates this may happen in the future.
The HSE has also said that of the many strains of HPAI viruses, the H5N1 strain is widely regarded as the most serious for birds and humans.
Minister for AgricultureMartin Heydon previously said there were two cases of H5N1 found in wild sea birds in June, in counties Kerry and Galway.
If a person touches a sick or dead bird infected with avian flu, they will be monitored for 10 days and may be offered vaccination and antiviral medication if they are considered to be at risk.
The Department of Agriculture has asked the public to report any sighting of sick or dead wild birds on the avian influenza wild bird reporting app, AvianCheck.
Poultry keepers have been asked to report any suspicions of avian influenza in their flocks to their regional veterinary office or the National Disease Emergency Hotline.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been 896 outbreaks of HPAI in poultry flocks and birds across Europe.
