Bird flu first cases in Upper Austria: poultry industry on alert!

Bird flu first cases in Upper Austria: poultry industry on alert!

Bird flu is back and is currently spreading rapidly in Germany and parts of Austria. Eastern Germany is particularly affected, where numerous outbreaks have been reported in Brandenburg. Around 130,000 chickens had to be killed there to contain the disease. The first cases have also become known in Berlin, while in Upper Austria four swans have already tested positive for the H5N1 virus Small newspaper reported.

Experts warn of a potential shortage of eggs and poultry products before Christmas. Entrepreneur Manfred Söllradl has already expressed concerns as around three million eggs are packed in the week before Christmas. So far, the prices for eggs and chicken meat in Germany have been stable, but experts expect that price jumps are possible if the disease continues to spread. ZDF emphasizes that bird flu is largely harmless to humans and transmission is considered unlikely.

Preventive measures and mandatory stables

In order to stop the spread of avian influenza, the poultry industry has called for a nationwide requirement for stables. In Germany, several federal states such as Saarland and Hamburg have already imposed a stable requirement for ducks, geese and other types of poultry. The goal is clear: to minimize contact between poultry and potentially infected wild birds. This is particularly important because the highly contagious virus variant HPAIV (H5N1) often leads to severe disease in infected animals, reports Time.

Given this situation, experts recommend that, for example, dead birds should not be touched and that if suspected cases occur, the veterinary office should be contacted. The ministries also recommend that you refrain from feeding wild birds in parks in order to prevent crowds. After walks near bodies of water, it is advisable to clean shoes thoroughly so as not to bring home contaminated particles.

Economic impact

The economic consequences of bird flu could be serious. In Germany, over 500,000 animals were killed as a precaution to stop the virus from spreading further. Many farmers are already complaining about significant yield losses, which is loud ZDF leading to a tense situation in the poultry industry. While some farmers criticize factory farming as the cause of the epidemic, the Central Association of the German Poultry Industry emphasizes that wild birds are the natural reservoirs for the virus.

Overall, the situation is serious and the authorities are called upon to prevent further spread. Let's hope that the situation will soon be under control and our local poultry farmers and consumers will not have to continue to suffer from this disease.