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Red alert: Bird flu kills over 118,000 animals in Lower Saxony!
Diepholz is affected by bird flu: over 1,300 hens are affected, while Lower Saxony is introducing extensive protective measures.
Red alert: Bird flu kills over 118,000 animals in Lower Saxony!
A worrying picture emerges in Lower Saxony: Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, is spreading rapidly. So far, over 118,500 animals have died or had to be killed, and the affected counties are not discounting the extent of the crisis. In the Cloppenburg district, around 70,400 turkeys and 5,300 ducks are affected, followed by 41,500 turkeys in the Vechta district and 1,300 pullets in the Diepholz district. In addition, 14 dead animals from small poultry farms in the Heidekreis were registered, as reported by Welt.
In view of this dramatic situation, the authorities in six affected districts have ordered poultry to be kept indoors in order to contain the spread of the virus. This regulation applies to both private and commercial animal husbandry and extends to the districts of Cloppenburg, Emsland, Diepholz, Gifhorn, Oldenburg and Vechta. In the Gifhorn district, compulsory stables were only recently introduced, while Cloppenburg has implemented special stables in an exclusion zone around Garrel, where four confirmed outbreaks have been identified in turkey fattening farms since mid-October. A total of 36,300 turkeys are affected, supplemented by 5,300 ducks that have already been killed, as NDR reports.
Protection measures and compensation
The state agriculture ministry has announced that affected animal owners will receive legally regulated compensation. The maximum amount is currently 50 euros per animal, but an increase to up to 110 euros is already being planned. Half of this compensation is borne by the state of Lower Saxony and the Lower Saxony Animal Disease Fund. Agriculture Minister Miriam Staudte will publish further information on the situation in the coming days and appeals to the hygiene practices of pig and poultry farmers.
To prevent further infections, the Ministry of Agriculture recommends strict hygiene measures. This includes cleaning shoes and avoiding contact with dead wild birds. The discovery of dead cranes in the Diepholz district, where samples were taken for virus testing, is particularly worrying. The area is known as a resting area for migratory birds and is home to around 35,000 cranes, as can be read in the Tagesschau reports.
A broad problem
Bird flu is not a new phenomenon, but its outbreak has increased significantly due to the bird migration season. HPAIV (H5N1) infections have now occurred throughout Germany and the situation is classified as high-risk. The Federal Minister of Agriculture Alois Rainer has tightened the measures to prevent the spread of the virus. It has been reported that states such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg have also been severely affected, where large numbers of animals have been killed to contain the spread.
Despite the frightening numbers, there is so far little danger for people as long as they avoid contact with the affected animals. However, it is recommended that people who regularly work with poultry get vaccinated against seasonal influenza to prevent possible double infections. These incidents highlight the challenges that agriculture currently has to overcome and how important it is to protect human and animal health.