Alarm in the Kyffhäuser district: bird flu claims hundreds of cranes!

Alarm in the Kyffhäuser district: bird flu claims hundreds of cranes!

In the Kyffhäuser district, Thuringia, bird flu is taking on dramatic proportions. The first cases were registered in October, including an infected crane. To date, a total of 93 dead animals have been recovered, including the crane, a cormorant and a great egret. The dead were found not only at the Kelbra reservoir, but also in the wider district area. The situation is so serious that a ban on entry has been imposed on the entire bank of the reservoir on both the Thuringian and Saxony-Anhalt sides. What is particularly alarming is that more than 500 dead cranes were found on the Saxony-Anhalt side of the reservoir. Loud MDR Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, is a highly contagious infectious disease that generally does not pose a threat to humans.

Strict protective measures have already been taken to avoid spreading to livestock. If bird flu is suspected, districts are obliged to impose appropriate requirements such as compulsory stables or the establishment of restricted areas. A general decree has recently come into force in Erfurt, which affects parts of the city, especially the lakes in the north that border on the Sömmerda district. A fattening farm with around 40,000 animals in Erfurt is also affected. A suspicion of bird flu in Mittelhausen is also currently being examined.

Current developments in Thuringia

The situation remains tense. At the beginning of October there was an outbreak in a poultry farm in Mergendorf in the Greiz district, where a total of 1,358 animals had to be killed, including 907 ducks, 284 geese and 149 chickens. A three-kilometer protection zone has been set up around these farms, within which all animals must be examined, while spot checks on apparently healthy animals take place in a ten-kilometer monitoring zone.

In the Saale-Orla district, due to the high risk, a stable requirement has been enforced for certain risk areas with immediate effect, although no suspected cases have yet been reported. In this context, the Plothen pond area and a region around a larger poultry farm in Thierbach are considered “ornithological risk areas”. In the Schmalkalden-Meiningen district, communities bordering the Werra and larger poultry farms must also comply with corresponding requirements in order to limit possible risks to animal populations.

Awareness of bird flu and its impact on animal husbandry is growing. Food safety and the protection of agriculture are the focus. While many farmers are longing for a quick return to normality, the situation remains tense at the moment and every effort is being made to prevent further infections.