Avian influenza in German and Danish poultry farms | Sciences

November 22, 2023, 6:54 pm

Bird flu broke out on two German poultry farms and also on a Danish farm near the German border. On a farm in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, this killed tens of thousands of turkeys. A spokesman for the Ludwigslust-Parchim district said that a farm in the municipality of Luitsrand containing about 25,000 heads of livestock was affected.

The culling of the animals began on Wednesday morning. According to Schwerin’s Minister of Agriculture, Till Backhaus (SPD), this is the first case of domestic poultry in the state this fall. “It is feared that events will continue to gain momentum in light of the upcoming cold season.”

A highly contagious type of bird flu also appeared on a poultry farm with about 50 animals in the state of Lower Saxony, the Cuxhaven region announced on Wednesday. Domestic and wild poultry in particular can become infected quickly. All animals on the affected farm had to be euthanized. At the end of October, authorities reported an outbreak of the disease on a poultry farm containing about 39,000 head of livestock, albeit a less contagious type of bird flu.

Bird flu has also been discovered on a Danish pheasant farm near the German border. The Veterinary and Food Authority also announced on Wednesday that due to the risk of infection, about 2,700 animals would be euthanized at the farm near Tønder. Information indicates that pheasants may have been infected by wild birds that stopped in the area during their autumn migration south. Because the surveillance area extends beyond the German border, the authorities in Schleswig-Holstein have been informed so they can take their own steps.