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Bird flu is raging in Brandenburg: thousands of birds are already dead!
In Spree-Neiße, new cases of bird flu H5N1 were found in hobby farms, affecting several animals.
Bird flu is raging in Brandenburg: thousands of birds are already dead!
Alarming cases of bird flu have emerged again in Brandenburg. Like that Berliner Abendblatt reported, a total of ten cases have now been detected in kept birds. The latest outbreaks affect a population of geese with around 950 animals in the Uckermark district and two small holdings in the Oder-Spree and Spree-Neiße districts.
Several dead animals were discovered in the goose farm, whereupon the entire population was closed, examined and the sick animals were killed. In addition, a protection zone was set up around the outbreak population to prevent the virus from spreading further. There were also deaths in hobby keeping: 13 chickens in the Spree-Neisse district and 20 chickens and 5 geese in the Oder-Spree district fell victim to the virus. The animal owners immediately informed the veterinary office.
Difficult situation for poultry farmers
The situation is tense; around 155,000 animals have already died in Brandenburg due to bird flu. The influenza virus subtype H5N1 was identified in the Berlin-Brandenburg state laboratory and confirmed by the Friedrich Loeffler Institute. What is particularly worrying is that bird flu has become common in recent years, especially in Brandenburg. Record numbers of dead birds are rising here, which is putting a lot of strain on poultry farmers, reports also rbb24.
The outbreak has its roots in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg, where mortality among wild birds is exorbitantly high. The cranes that are on their way south are particularly hard hit. Over 2,200 dead cranes have already been collected in the Linumer Teichland (Ostprignitz-Ruppin district), and the number is rising. The number could rise to 2,500 by the end of the week as the crane migration gradually comes to an end.
Caution is advised
Bird flu is a highly contagious infectious disease that can cause rapid death in many species of birds and poultry. Symptoms in infected animals include loss of appetite, diarrhea, shortness of breath and water retention. According to that RBB Poultry farmers should protect their animals from wild birds to prevent the virus from spreading quickly. Close contact with infected animals is necessary to transmit the virus to humans, but this is rarely the case.
Although the risk of infection for humans remains low, there are still recommendations for poultry meat and eggs: They should always be heated thoroughly. The Brandenburg State Office for the Environment also advises avoiding resting areas for wild birds, as they can carry the virus without symptoms.
The coming weeks will be crucial for poultry farming in the region. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation and preparing for possible future developments.