Bird flu is spreading in Germany: 400,000 birds have already been killed

Greifswald/Berlin. The rapid spread of avian influenza is hitting poultry farms across Germany with full force. According to the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), more than 30 commercial poultry farmers nationwide have been forced to cull their birds. The total damage to affected farms runs into the millions.

In order to contain the further spread of the animal disease as much as possible, according to initial surveys, around 400,000 chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys were culled and subsequently disposed of, a spokeswoman for the Greifswald-based FLI, which is responsible for animal health, said in response to an inquiry.

"We already had similar numbers in 2021, the most severe year for avian influenza so far." How the situation will develop is impossible to predict, but the FLI expects a further increase in outbreaks and cases," said Institute President Professor Christa Kühn. "We continue to see a very dynamic situation."

The largest losses so far have been in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg. Two farms in Western Pomerania had to cull a total of almost 150,000 laying hens. The Märkisch-Oderland district in Brandenburg announced that a further 130,000 animals will be culled there as a result of avian flu. According to the district, this represents a loss of around half a million euros for one of the affected farms alone.

In Lower Saxony, Bavaria, Thuringia, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Baden-Württemberg, thousands of farm animals were also culled as a precautionary measure. This followed analyses at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute that confirmed infections with the highly contagious H5N1 avian influenza virus.

The Friedrich Loeffler Institute has not ruled out the possibility of the infection rate reaching similarly dramatic levels as four years ago. Calls for a nationwide housing mandate are growing louder. Such an official order would require farm animals such as free-range poultry to be kept in closed housing.

In one of the most severe epidemics in Germany to date, more than two million animals had to be culled nationwide in the winter of 2020/21, according to the trade press.

Sick wild birds stopping over on their way to their wintering grounds in the south are considered carriers of avian influenza. Although the disease is now widespread year-round in Germany, the incidence of infections increases significantly with bird migration in the fall.

According to the Loeffler Institute, the wave of infections started earlier than usual this year. Furthermore, cranes have been affected to an unprecedented extent. Mass crane mortality is occurring, particularly in the Linumer Teichland region in northwest Brandenburg. According to Kühn, the H5N1 avian influenza virus was detected in 65 wild birds. However, the overall number of infected birds died many times higher.

The virus pressure from infected wild birds and their droppings is very high. "I would like to appeal to everyone not to stay near dead wild birds and not to visit poultry flocks afterward. The avian influenza virus can also be transmitted indirectly via contaminated footwear or equipment," Kühn warned.

According to her, there is a low risk of infection for the general public. However, contact with wild birds, especially sick or dead birds, should be avoided. "People who work with infected animals, such as the teams that clear affected holdings or collect dead wild birds, have a moderate risk of infection and therefore wear protective clothing," Kühn said.

The peak of bird migration is still to come. Therefore, the risk of avian influenza being introduced into livestock flocks remains high, it was stated. Farms were warned to strictly adhere to hygiene measures and prevent contact with wild birds.

With the rapid spread of avian influenza and growing concerns about economic damage, poultry farmers are calling for stronger protection. The Central Association of the German Poultry Industry warned: "If we don't act, we risk not only animal health but also security of supply."

If the culling of animals is ordered following an outbreak of avian influenza, the owners receive compensation, which is scaled according to the species and, by law, may not exceed the current maximum of €50. Owners can claim financial damages from the animal disease insurance fund.

Federal Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer (CSU) advocated raising the upper limit for compensation payments for animals that must be euthanized from the current €50 to up to €110. As a rule, the market value is the basis for compensation payments from the animal disease fund.

From the perspective of the Green Party in the Bundestag, an epidemic like avian influenza exposes the vulnerability of factory farming. "The fact that the spread of avian influenza poses such a significant economic threat to many poultry farms points to a fundamental, structural problem: overly large housing with excessive stocking density," said Zoe Mayer, spokesperson for Food, Agriculture and Homeland and animal welfare officer.

Currently, tens of thousands of animals can be kept together in very close quarters. In the event of an animal disease, the culling of an enormous number of animals would be necessary. "This problem cannot be solved with higher compensation rates at the expense of taxpayers," Mayer said.

RND/dpa