Bird flu in the East: Tens of thousands of chickens face fatal sentence!

Bird flu in the East: Tens of thousands of chickens face fatal sentence!

Concern about bird flu is growing: the H5N1 virus is spreading rapidly in eastern Germany and has already reached alarming proportions. The current hotspot is in Thuringia, where numerous animals were killed in the Mansfeld-Südharz district. On October 30, 2025, the veterinary office ordered the killing of the entire population of a laying hen farm with around 40,000 hens after suspicion of a bird flu infection was expressed. This measure was necessary to prevent further spread of the highly contagious avian influenza, which can be fatal in many species of birds and poultry, as thueringen24.de reports.

The situation is further exacerbated by the high mortality rates among wild birds, especially cranes. In the fall of 2025, several deaths occurred in Brandenburg, where over 1,000 cranes died in a bird sanctuary. The reason for this is also seen in the H5N1 virus. The virus has been spreading in Germany since October 2025, particularly favored by bird migration, and is affecting, among others, the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Brandenburg, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. According to Deutschlandfunk, around 400,000 chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys had lost their lives by the end of October.

Measures and reactions

The affected poultry farms must adhere to strict safety measures. This includes the establishment of protection zones with a radius of three kilometers around the affected companies, as well as monitoring zones with a radius of ten kilometers. Poultry products, including meat and eggs, may not be sold or circulated in these zones. Federal Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer (CSU) has already called for increased precautions and coordinated action. At the same time, poultry farmers are applying for compensation for the losses suffered, with the upper limit being increased from 50 to 110 euros.

To maintain biosecurity, veterinarians are deployed to carry out rapid tests. If infection is suspected, stocks must be isolated and culled immediately. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute has confirmed the death of the birds found at the reservoir in Kelbra as a result of an H5N1 infection. The efforts in the affected regions were supported by NABU, which is calling on the population not to touch dead or sick birds.

Impact and outlook

According to virologist Martin Beer, further spread of bird flu among wild birds is expected. However, at the moment he sees no significant risk of secondary spread between poultry farms. There is currently no great risk to humans, although the infections can have serious consequences. Although deaths have been documented in Asia over the last two decades, there have been no infections in the EU. There are currently no plans for a national vaccination campaign against H5N1, although widespread vaccinations for high-risk groups are being carried out in other countries.

A further look at the situation shows that four new HPAI genotypes have been detected since November 2023. The parent genotype, Ger-02-23-N1.1, had become established in the wild bird population by September 2023, showing that the virus continues to pose a serious threat to animal health. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute is entrusted with monitoring and will continue to closely monitor developments.