Bird flu alarm in Eichsfeld: obligation for poultry to be kept in stables!

Bird flu alarm in Eichsfeld: obligation for poultry to be kept in stables!

On Tuesday, November 4th, a general obligation to keep poultry in stables came into force in the Eichsfeld district. This decree was issued by the Veterinary Office due to a recent outbreak of bird flu. A highly pathogenic virus known as avian influenza was detected in a dead wild bird on October 28th. What was particularly alarming was that this virus was detected on bone remains of a crane, while the rest of the animal's body was probably carried by other animals such as foxes, reports said Göttingen Tageblatt.

Avian flu, which is caused by the HPAIV (H5N1) virus, poses a serious threat to chickens, turkeys and other birds. Highly pathogenic variants can often be fatal in animals and lead to high losses in livestock farming. Bird flu continues to spread in Lower Saxony; A total of 15 districts are already affected by this virus and have imposed a stable requirement. Including Emsland, Grafschaft Bentheim and Cloppenburg, to name just a few.

Stricter measures for poultry farmers

In the wake of this situation, the responsible authorities have asked all poultry farmers to immediately house their animals in protected stables. Anyone who has not registered their animals with the veterinary office must do so immediately. In addition, purchases of additional birds are prohibited until further notice unless they have been examined by a veterinarian within the last four days.

Furthermore report daily news and ZDF that bird flu is spreading rapidly in Germany and has reached a new level, especially in the fall. In this context, Federal Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer has called for increased protective measures. In Baden-Württemberg, 15,000 animals have already had to be killed in a poultry farm, while in Lower Saxony over 20,000 turkeys were culled due to an outbreak.

Protection against further spread

There is currently no particularly high risk for people, but contact with dead birds is strongly discouraged. There are no known cases of H5N1 in humans so far, but the Friedrich Loeffler Institute has classified the risk of further outbreaks in recent weeks as “high.” It is advised to strictly adhere to hygiene measures and avoid contact with wild birds to prevent the virus from spreading further.

The measures are not only necessary to protect poultry populations, but also aim to prevent damage to agriculture. Over 200,000 farm animals have already been killed this fall due to the outbreaks. The Federal Ministry has also submitted a request to the EU to increase the upper limit for compensation payments from 50 euros to up to 110 euros in order to support the affected farmers.

It is now even more important that poultry farmers in the region remain vigilant and take all necessary steps to protect their flocks. Autumn not only brings a blaze of color, but also the danger of animal diseases that need to be combated.