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Alarm in Brandenburg: Bird flu hits cranes and poultry farms!
In the fall of 2025, bird flu will spread dramatically in Brandenburg, causing thousands of birds to die and poultry farming to be threatened.
Alarm in Brandenburg: Bird flu hits cranes and poultry farms!
Bird flu is currently raging in Brandenburg like never before. The worst known outbreak of the disease in wild birds occurred in the fall of 2025, and the impact is dramatic. Loud maz-online.de More than 1,200 cranes have already died in the Linum pond landscape near Fehrbellin. Mayor Mathias Perschall (SPD) describes the situation as extremely serious and warns of a rapid spread of the virus in Central Europe.
The current spread is favored by the birds' autumn migration south, which increases the risk of infection for nearby poultry farms. In the last few weeks, hundreds of thousands of farm animals have had to be killed in Germany because of bird flu. In Brandenburg alone, around 5,000 geese from an asparagus farm in Kremmen could no longer be saved this season after the virus was detected there too. zeit.de reports that total losses of over 9,000 ducks and geese are to be expected in several farms.
Dangers for the poultry industry
The situation also has an impact on the food industry. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) reports a massive increase in infections, particularly in cranes. Cases of dead cranes have also been recorded in various federal states, including Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. New reports of fallen animals are added every day, which further escalates the situation.
The Federal Minister of Agriculture Alois Rainer is calling on poultry farmers to take increased protective measures. The authorities have set up temporary protection and surveillance zones to contain further spread. Strict hygiene rules have been introduced in these zones. It is advised to avoid contact with wild birds and to immediately report dead birds to the relevant authorities.
Scientific findings and outlook
Bird flu, aggravated by the HPAIV (H5N1) virus, poses a high risk to wild birds, especially since it is widespread in Germany all year round. The aim of the protective measures is to prevent the spread of the virus and the associated economic damage. In order to achieve this, the upper limit for compensation payments for the affected farmers should also be increased, which has already been initiated by the responsible ministries.
However, so far there is no increased risk of serious illnesses for the population as long as contact with dead birds is avoided. Everyone involved is required to monitor the situation closely and react as quickly as possible to protect local wildlife and agriculture. The forecasts are worrying: the increase in cases could continue in the coming weeks, especially given the high number of cranes currently gathering in Brandenburg.