Avian influenza in Lower Saxony: 14,600 turkeys have to be killed!

Avian influenza in Lower Saxony: 14,600 turkeys have to be killed!

There is currently a race against time in Lower Saxony: The highly contagious avian influenza has struck a turkey fattening farm in Vechta. This worrying news has put farmers in the region on alert, as around 14,600 turkeys have to be killed under strict restrictions. The animals showed their first symptoms on Friday, and the suspicion was immediately confirmed by the Friedrich Loeffler Institute, an important specialist agency for animal diseases - a clear wake-up call for the entire industry. Sat1Regional reports that...

What does this mean specifically for the owners affected? A protection zone has been set up within a three kilometer radius of the infected company. There is also a monitoring zone every ten kilometers where there are strict rules for poultry traffic. Here, all businesses must strictly adhere to strict regulations regarding the keeping, reporting of losses and the treatment of animals and animal products. It is the first confirmed outbreak in a poultry farm in the Vechta district - and that casts a shadow over the entire region.

Further cases in Lower Saxony

The situation is anything but isolated: cases of avian influenza have already been detected in the Cloppenburg and Gifhorn districts. In Cloppenburg there is now also an obligation to stable in a restricted zone near Garrel, which will come into force next Saturday. In the last few weeks, the number of outbreaks has exploded: since mid-October, a total of four confirmed outbreaks have been recorded in Garrel, three of which were in turkey fattening farms alone. These incidents have already affected 36,300 turkeys, and another farm with 5,300 ducks also had to cull their animals. Tagesschau reports that…

The spread of bird flu is not only worrying in breeding farms, but increasing numbers of cases have also been found in wild birds. Nature conservation associations such as BUND and Nabu strongly warn against feeding wild birds and advise keeping dogs on a leash as a precaution and cleaning your shoes thoroughly if you have come into contact with wild birds. It is also advised not to enter a poultry farm for at least 48 hours after coming into contact with dead birds.

Rules for poultry farmers

The fight against avian influenza is regulated by a large number of regulations. The Livestock Traffic Ordinance, which requires the registration and documentation of poultry farmers, has been in force in Germany since 2010. Keepers of chickens, ducks, geese and other types of poultry must register their operations with the relevant authorities and report any changes immediately. It is particularly important that if at least three animals are lost within 24 hours or more than 2% of the population is lost, the causes must be clarified immediately by a veterinarian. The Federal Ministries of Food and Agriculture has provided comprehensive information on this.

At a time when agriculture is already suffering from many challenges, it is even more important to stand together and follow the strict rules. The welfare of the animals and the health of the population should be our top priority!