Bird flu for the first time in Koblenz: crane discovered with H5N1!

Bird flu for the first time in Koblenz: crane discovered with H5N1!

Worrying news is causing a stir in Koblenz: a dead crane tested positive for the H5N1 virus. This is the first evidence of bird flu in the city, which has prompted the Mayen-Koblenz district administration to fully inform the public. Loud rhein-zeitung.de Suspected cases have also been reported in the surrounding communities of Bendorf and Thür, but their findings are still awaiting confirmation by the Friedrich Loeffler Institute.

Bird flu has been spreading rapidly in Germany since September 2025, according to reports deutschlandfunk.de is due, among other things, to bird migration. This particularly affects the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In Brandenburg, over 1,000 cranes have already died in a bird sanctuary, while in North Rhine-Westphalia almost 19,000 animals had to be culled to stop the virus from spreading further.

What are the authorities doing? In the event of an outbreak, the affected livestock must be closed for 21 days to prevent contaminated meat supplies. Strict control measures are essential: protection zones with a radius of three kilometers and surveillance zones with 10 kilometers are set up. Agricultural businesses also have to take additional safety precautions to avoid possible infections. NABU strongly advises against touching dead or sick birds, as cranes are particularly susceptible to the H5N1 virus.

But what happens if an outbreak occurs? Experts such as virologist Martin Beer warn of possible further spread, especially among cranes. Although the risk of a pandemic for humans is currently considered low and no case of human-to-human transmission has been detected in the EU, the situation is anything but reassuring - not least because history shows that the H5N1 virus always causes excitement.

In addition to these concerns, there is currently cause for concern in the Caribbean. Hurricane Melissa is slowly moving through the Caribbean Sea and could have devastating consequences for some islands. So reported weather.com about possible heavy rains, high waves and coastal erosion. This could lead to surprising twists and turns in the coming days as residents in affected areas prepare for the potential force of the storm.

The worrying situation surrounding bird flu and the developments with Hurricane Melissa show that both natural and animal viruses continue to pose major challenges. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop and what further measures will be taken to protect public health.