Stuttgart (dpa) – After the outbreak of bird flu in a poultry flock in Baden-Württemberg, owners, animal rights activists and authorities fear further suspected cases in commercial poultry and other animal species. According to estimates by the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), the spread of bird flu among cranes has now reached a level previously unknown in Germany. A spokeswoman said that an accumulation of dead animals, such as this autumn, has not yet been observed.
The federal and state governments discussed how to proceed on Thursday evening. Federal Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer (CSU) has called a meeting with his counterparts, his authority announced. The aim is a coordinated, joint approach. The FLI, as the federal institute responsible for animal diseases, has now raised the risk assessment to “high”, according to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.
Around 15,000 animals are killed in the southwest
Poultry farms in federal states such as Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Lower Saxony are already affected by the virus. A large outbreak of the disease was recently reported in the southwest. According to the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Agriculture, around 15,000 animals from the affected closed poultry farm north of Ulm were or will be killed.
It is still unclear whether the outbreak in the population is at all related to the bird flu that is rampant in cranes outside Baden-Württemberg. “But I doubt that cranes have anything to do with the outbreak in the Alb-Donau Valley,” said Stefan Bosch, the NABU specialist for bird protection.
The migratory birds followed two classic routes to their wintering areas in southwestern Europe and North Africa. Baden-Württemberg is on a branch line. Nevertheless, Bosch believes cases of sick cranes in the southwest are possible.
According to initial estimates, around 2,000 cranes have died of avian influenza in German rest areas during their annual southward migration. Since the peak of the crane rest is still expected, experts are expecting significantly higher numbers.
Safe for humans
Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is an infectious disease that is often fatal in many bird and poultry species. According to experts, it is not dangerous for humans.
For the month of October, the FLI has already counted more than 15 outbreaks in poultry farms. The currently high viral load in wild birds significantly increases the risk of entry into poultry populations nationwide, according to the FLI.
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