Bird flu alarm in Bavaria: spread feared, stable not yet compulsory!

Bird flu alarm in Bavaria: spread feared, stable not yet compulsory!

Bird flu is making the rounds in Bavaria and is causing increased alertness among poultry farmers. The authorities have recognized that the risk of spread is considered high and they expect the number of cases to increase. Loud muenchen.t-online.de This is avian influenza, a viral disease that primarily affects chickens and turkeys. Wild birds, especially waterfowl, are the main vectors of the virus but often show no symptoms, further complicating the situation.

Despite the worrying situation, no compulsory stable requirement has been ordered across Bavaria so far. The spokeswoman for the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment explained that such an obligation to set up stables was currently not necessary. In contrast, in other federal states, such as Saarland and Hamburg, there are already strict regulations that stipulate that poultry farmers are required to have stables by the state. Loud br.de A stable requirement is enacted if a high risk of the spread of disease is identified.

What does this mean for poultry farmers? Some of them are already voluntarily implementing safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus. However, a stable requirement, as was introduced in the last wave of bird flu in 2016/2017, could also pose significant challenges. Hobby owners in particular don't have it easy because their animals are used to outdoor exercise. This could lead to stress and other animal welfare issues.

The situation is tense because several cases of bird flu have been recorded in Bavaria since October, including 12 infected wild birds and an outbreak in a goose fattening farm in the Dingolfing-Landau district, where five infected animals were discovered, resulting in around 3,000 geese having to be killed. The Bavarian Poultry Industry Association warns of possible bottlenecks and rising prices for eggs, which could further endanger the economic situation of other poultry farmers.

In order to counteract this, a nationwide stable requirement is being discussed. Whether this will actually be implemented remains to be seen. The associations are calling for such measures to be implemented at an early stage in order to avoid introducing the virus into the stocks. However, the legal hurdles should not be underestimated, as regional differences in the dangers posed by wild birds influence the need for compulsory stables across the board. So it remains exciting to see how the situation will develop and how the Bavarian authorities will react to the increasing number of cases.