More than 30 commercial poultry farms in Germany have been compelled to cull their flocks following outbreaks of avian influenza, according to Germany’s Animal Health Institute.
Around 400,000 chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys have been culled and subsequently incinerated to prevent further spread of the disease.
“We had similar figures in 2021, the strongest ‘avian influenza year’ to date. It is impossible to predict how the situation will develop, but the FLI [Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut] is expecting a further increase in outbreaks and cases,” said institute head Christa Kühn.
Thousands of poultry have been pre-emptively culled in several other German states after FLI analyses confirmed infections with the highly contagious H5N1 avian influenza virus.
Wild birds migrating to southern regions are considered the main carriers of avian influenza. While the disease is now present in Germany year-round, the risk of infection rises sharply during the autumn migration.
According to the FLI, the current wave of infections has started earlier than usual. Cranes have been disproportionately affected, particularly in north-west Brandenburg, where they are dying in large numbers.
