Bird flu threatens Kremmen: 8,600 animals have to be killed!

Bird flu threatens Kremmen: 8,600 animals have to be killed!

Bird flu has been spreading unstoppably in Oberhavel since mid-October. The Spargelhof Kremmen is particularly hard hit, where the owner, Malte Voigts, had to make the heartbreaking decision to have around 8,600 animals, including geese and ducks, culled. Loud maz-online.de 5,000 geese and now 3,600 ducks have already been killed due to a positive test result for the virus.

It is believed that an infected crane transmitted the virus to the animals. The district's crisis team was forced to order these drastic measures because the same animal keepers are responsible for both animal species. This makes it clear how serious the situation is: bird flu is not only a local issue in Germany, but also a nationwide one that is reaching worrying proportions. In other federal states such as Baden-Württemberg, immense quantities of poultry, around 15,000 animals on one farm, also had to be killed n-tv.de reported.

Consequences for the region

The effects of this outbreak are not only dramatic for the affected animal owners. The situation could also affect Christmas business as orders are currently not possible. It remains to be seen how this will affect local restaurants and farm shops. In the bistro “Bric à Brac” on Gut Zernikow there is another difficult piece of news: the operator, Jan Koch, has tragically died, probably as a result of a storm surge in Corsica. A memorial service in his memory is planned for Saturday.

But there is also news on the streets of Oberhavel: The L20 between Velten and Borgsdorf is expected to be reopened on October 30th after a long renovation. This means that traffic flow in the region will soon pick up again.

Bird flu – a European problem

Bird flu is spreading not only in Oberhavel, but also throughout Germany and Europe. Loud zdfheute.de The risks are particularly high in autumn with bird migration, and numerous cranes have already died. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute has classified the risk of further outbreaks as high. There does not appear to be any direct risk of serious illness to the general public, but contact with dead birds should be strongly avoided to prevent possible virus spread.

So the fight against bird flu will continue. Regional farmers, restaurants and the entire population are faced with the challenge of overcoming this crisis together. While we keep quiet and wait these weeks, it becomes clear once again how fragile our agriculture and the livelihoods associated with it can be.