Avian influenza outbreak: 6,000 animals affected in the Rostock district!

Avian influenza outbreak: 6,000 animals affected in the Rostock district!

Avian influenza remains a serious issue in the Rostock district. The highly contagious H5N1 virus was recently detected in a waterfowl farm in Zarnewanz - a known hotspot for this disease. How NDR According to reports, around 3,000 ducks and the same number of geese now have to be killed to prevent the virus from spreading further. The farm was affected by a similar outbreak last year in which over 13,000 animals were killed. The situation remains tense: a total of more than 19,000 animals have lost their lives in Zarnewanz in the last few months.

This latest outbreak is not the first of its kind. A similar event occurred at another company in the district several months before the current incident. Avian influenza is extremely contagious for birds, while the risk to humans is considered to be low. Nevertheless, the economic consequences are enormous - the damage could run into the hundreds of thousands ProSieben reported.

Safety measures and risk of infection

In order to contain the spread of avian influenza, the Rostock district has set up a restricted area in the districts of Ticino, Zarnewanz and Stormsdorf. There is also an observation area in other villages. Poultry farmers are required to check their animals daily and protect them from contact with wild birds. The last detection of the virus in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was in swans in mid-November last year. Avian influenza is currently also circulating in parts of Lower Saxony, which makes the situation even more complicated.

The risk that wild birds will introduce the pathogen is considered to be high. The fight against avian influenza in the European Union is clearly regulated, based on the Avian Influenza Ordinance. In the event of an outbreak, special measures must be taken: the killing animals should be eliminated using a special gas made from CO₂ and argon, and even animals that have already been slaughtered and frozen must be destroyed.

A look into the future

The avian influenza situation is not isolated. Since 2024, some countries in the USA have also reported infections with avian influenza viruses, which have even been detected in dairy farms. This showed that the udders of infected cows can be an ecological breeding ground for the virus. However, such developments have not yet been observed in Germany, where the danger to people is considered to be extremely low BMEL informed.

It is to be hoped that the authorities' view and the measures taken can protect poultry populations in the region and that these critical circumstances will soon be a thing of the past. But until the light at the end of the tunnel becomes visible, poultry farmers and the institutions involved remain required to do everything they can to prevent the spread of avian influenza.