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Bird flu in Märkisch-Oderland: compulsory stables for poultry ordered!
Märkisch-Oderland has made it mandatory for poultry to be kept in stables because of bird flu. Current developments and risks in the district.
Bird flu in Märkisch-Oderland: compulsory stables for poultry ordered!
In Brandenburg, fear of bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is high again. Currently, several districts, including Märkisch-Oderland, Ostprignitz-Ruppin, Prignitz, Spree-Neisse, Cottbus and Potsdam, have imposed a stable requirement for poultry. This decision was made to support commercial owners and limit the spread of the virus Daily Mirror reported. District Administrator Gernot Schmidt commented on the situation on RBB Inforadio and made it clear that private owners are only affected by the stable requirement in certain zones around affected businesses.
Although no new outbreaks have been detected in Märkisch-Oderland, Schmidt sees the region under pressure because bird migration south has already begun. The region is a well-known bird migration area, where greylag geese and cranes are particularly popular. The district administrator is against a comprehensive stable requirement and is instead relying on targeted measures by the districts.
The current situation and risks
However, the spread of bird flu is not a local problem. The epidemic is increasing within Germany and beyond its borders. In Baden-Württemberg, for example, 15,000 animals had to be killed in a poultry farm, while in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania almost 150,000 animals were killed in two large farms with laying hens. The ZDF reported an estimated 2,000 cranes dead, showing how serious the situation is.
Accidental transmission of the virus to other species is particularly concerning, with over 200,000 chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys killed due to outbreaks in recent months. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) has set the threat level to “high”, which illustrates the urgency of the situation. Contact with dead birds should be avoided at all costs to prevent further spread.
Bird flu and humans
However, concerns about human health remain unfounded for now. There are currently no known cases of the H5N1 virus in humans in Germany, although the risk exists with high infection doses. 29 outbreaks in wild birds have been recorded nationwide, with cranes particularly affected Friedrich Loeffler Institute reported. At the end of 2023, genetic changes in the virus were also discovered, making the situation even more complicated.
Overall, the situation remains tense. The stable requirement could extend to other regions, especially if bird flu continues to spread. For the owners affected, it is now even more important to be careful and stick together in order to keep the damage as low as possible.