Red alert: 200,000 animals died – bird flu is threatening to escalate!

Red alert: 200,000 animals died – bird flu is threatening to escalate!

In Germany it has Bird flu spread further and concerns the poultry farmers. More than 200,000 animals have already been killed because of the dangerous disease. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) warns that the peak of bird migration is still to come and that further infections could occur in the coming weeks. At least 50 cases of infection have already been registered in poultry farms this year, 26 of them in October alone. The worrying thing about it: Experts fear that the scale of the epidemic will be similar to the devastating year 2020/21, when over two million animals had to be culled.

Poultry farmers are calling for increased protection of their flocks and a nationwide housing requirement. This would mean that free-range animals would have to be kept in closed stables. What is particularly worrying is the increase in the number of sick wild birds, especially cranes, which act as carriers of the H5N1 virus. In Ostprignitz-Ruppin, around 1,200 cranes are currently dying due to bird flu. This is a great physical and psychological strain for the volunteers who take care of collecting the carcasses.

Extended security measures required

Given the current situation, this has... Federal Ministry of Agriculture has already applied to the EU to increase the compensation cap for affected animal owners, from 50 to up to 110 euros. These compensations are based on the market value of the animals, but the consequential damages, such as penalties for non-fulfillment of delivery contracts, are not taken into account. The Greens in the Bundestag have criticized the vulnerability of factory farming and are urgently calling for better farming conditions.

There are currently increasing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in Lower Saxony. Since September 2025, HPAI cases have increased in poultry farming in several federal states. The H5 virus is also circulating in other countries, especially in Asia and North America, and is spreading in dairy cattle and poultry herds in the USA. There are even sporadic infections in cats and people. Fewer than ten human infections have been reported in Europe since 2020, so the risk to people is considered to be very low.

Preventive vaccination strategies are being planned

Although vaccinations of poultry against HPAI are currently prohibited in Germany, a strategy for preventative vaccination is being planned. Biosecurity measures for poultry farmers are required by law to prevent the spread of the disease. In Lower Saxony, HPAI detections in wild birds have increased in recent months. Intensive monitoring of HPAI occurrences in both wild birds and poultry farms is currently being carried out in order to detect and stop possible infections at an early stage.

The situation remains tense. The current challenge for poultry farmers is to keep their eyes open and prepare as best as possible for the challenges that autumn and bird flu will bring with it.