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Bird flu alarm: New restriction zone in the Diepholz district!
A new restriction zone has been set up in the Diepholz district due to outbreaks of avian influenza. Several communities are affected.
Bird flu alarm: New restriction zone in the Diepholz district!
Avian influenza is once again causing excitement in the Diepholz district. On November 6, 2025, the fifth confirmed outbreak of the virus was reported in the Rehden municipality, which led to the establishment of a new restriction zone. In an affected farm in Hemsloh, around 2,500 geese had to be killed to prevent the virus from spreading further. The restriction zone not only affects the municipality of Rehden, but also parts of Barnstorf, Kirchdorf, the “Alte Amt Lemförde”, the municipality of Wagenfeld and the city of Diepholz.
The neighboring district of Minden-Lübbecke is also affected. The restriction zones consist of a protection zone with a radius of three kilometers and a surveillance zone with a radius of ten kilometers. In these zones there are strict import and export bans on birds, poultry meat and eggs, while all poultry farms are required to house their animals. The protection zone around the first case of bird flu in the municipality of Stuhr has now been downgraded to a surveillance zone in which less strict requirements apply.
Scope of restrictions
A total of around 68,000 farm birds in the Diepholz district have fallen victim to avian influenza. There are currently around 1,480 poultry farms with around three million animals in the restriction zones. Particular attention is paid to the case in the joint municipality of Rehden, where 371 companies keep around 648,000 commercial birds. In addition, 68 businesses in the joint municipality “Altes Amt Lemförde” and 503 businesses in Barnstorf are affected, which together house around two million animals. Finally, one case in Stuhr affects 438 farms with around 60,000 birds.
Overall overview of the affected companies
| area | Affected companies | number of postures |
|---|---|---|
| Rehden joint municipality | 371 | 648,000 |
| Joint municipality “Altes Amt Lemförde” | 68 | 253,000 |
| Barnstorf community | 503 | 2,000,000 |
| Stuhr community | 438 | 60,000 |
This situation is part of a nationwide problem. According to fli.de, there were nine outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) H5 in domestic poultry in Germany in January 2024, which underlines the criticality of the situation. The virus has also been detected in wild birds, mainly barnacle geese and other species in various federal states.
The situation remains tense and it is essential that everyone involved adheres to the regulations to prevent an even greater spread of avian influenza. The next few weeks will be crucial to protect the health of stocks in this region and secure poultry supplies.