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Bird flu: Hesse imposes a stable requirement - new districts affected!
More and more districts in Hesse are making stables mandatory because of bird flu. Current situation and affected areas at a glance.
Bird flu: Hesse imposes a stable requirement - new districts affected!
In view of the progressive spread of bird flu, several districts in Hesse have made it mandatory for poultry to be kept in stables. The Vogelsberg district was one of the first to introduce a general decree on the safety of domestic poultry stocks on Tuesday. This measure is part of a dynamic situation that is continually evolving and in which it is entirely possible that other districts will follow suit. The regions already affected include Groß-Gerau, Gießen, Limburg-Weilburg, Marburg-Biedenkopf, Waldeck-Frankenberg, Kassel and Wetteraukreis. In some of these districts, the stable requirement only applies to specific areas or companies, such as in Bergstrasse and Darmstadt-Dieburg, where only certain regions are affected, and in Bad Hersfeld and Schwalm-Eder, where it is only required for individual companies. This approach is reminiscent of the regulations in Saarland, where a nationwide instruction was issued, but in Hesse the districts decide autonomously on their measures. As ffh.de reports, many districts have already reacted to the threatening situation.
Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is a highly contagious infectious disease that is often fatal for many species of birds and poultry. In the past, the virus was mainly limited to the cold season, but evidence with seasonal fluctuations can now be found all year round, as [augsburger- Allgemeine.de](https://www.augsburger- Allgemeine.de/panorama/tierseuche-stallpflicht-wegen-vogelgrippe-in-vielen-kreisen-112693773) points out. This presents farmers with new challenges. The situation is particularly worrying in other parts of Germany, where tens of thousands of animals have already been killed due to the disease. In Baden-Württemberg, around 15,000 animals were intercepted at a poultry farm to contain the spread.
Risks and measures
In view of the rapidly spreading bird flu, the Federal Minister of Agriculture Alois Rainer is calling for increased measures to protect local populations. The risk of further outbreaks has been raised to “high” by the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), especially in federal states with high bird migration such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Lower Saxony. These areas are particularly at risk because many wild birds, such as cranes, have long migration routes. Ominously, over 2,000 cranes have died from avian influenza this year, underlining the urgency of the situation. According to tagesschau.de, it requires all poultry farmers to adhere to strict hygiene measures and avoid contact with wild birds.
It remains to be hoped that the introduced stable requirements and consistent adherence to hygiene rules can contain the spread of the virus. The public is asked to inform the authorities immediately if sick or dead wild birds are found and to avoid contact if possible in order to minimize their own risk. There are also vaccines against bird flu for poultry, but their use must be carefully considered, especially in broiler production.