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Avian influenza is spreading: mandatory stables in Hamburg from Friday!
From October 31st, the city of Hamburg is imposing a stable requirement for poultry due to avian influenza in order to protect animals.
Avian influenza is spreading: mandatory stables in Hamburg from Friday!
The situation for poultry farming in Hamburg is getting worse. From October 31st, strict coop requirements apply to chickens, ducks and geese. The Hamburg consumer protection authority decided on this measure in cooperation with the seven districts in order to counteract the rampant outbreak of avian influenza. As Welt reports, affected animals must be housed in closed or specially secured stables from Friday. This affects not only chickens, but also turkeys, partridges and numerous other poultry species.
The obligation to keep stables serves to protect the animals and is intended to minimize the risk of wild bird entry. Hamburg currently has three confirmed cases of avian influenza in wild birds and 14 suspected cases. Particularly alarming are the reports of three dead cranes in the districts of Altona, Eimsbüttel and Harburg, which are part of a larger mass die-off of cranes; more than 2,000 of them have already died across Germany.
Outbreaks and emergency response
A look at the nationwide situation shows that avian influenza is raging violently not only in Hamburg, but also in other federal states. According to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), a total of 35 outbreaks have been recorded in commercial poultry farms since the beginning of September, with Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg as particularly affected regions. In these federal states, more than 200,000 poultry animals, including chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys, have been culled as a precautionary measure since the beginning of autumn to prevent the disease from spreading further Süddeutsche.
The nationwide figures are alarming: more than 500,000 animals have already been killed to contain the disease. There are always new cases and the situation remains tense. In some regions such as Baden-Württemberg, for example, 15,000 animals had to die in a single poultry farm.
Risks and precautions
The animal disease is spreading not only among domesticated animals, but also among wild bird populations. Around 160 carcasses submitted had the dangerous H5N1 virus. Bird flu is caused by the HPAIV (H5N1) virus and is active all year round in Germany, but is more active in autumn due to bird migration. There is currently no increased risk for humans, but contact with dead birds should be avoided to prevent possible virus spread, as ZDF reports.
The measures to contain the outbreaks not only include compulsory stables and the culling of sick poultry, but also rigid disinfection measures. Stables and enclosures must be thoroughly cleaned before new animals can be admitted. Ensuring the health of the animals and protecting the entire poultry population are top priorities.