Mass culling ordered near Berlin as Germany battles bird flu surge

Berlin - German authorities said on Oct 26 that they have ordered the culling of around 130,000 ducks and chickens on farms near Berlin as the country battles a surge in bird flu cases.

The disease has been detected in a duck farm with around 80,000 birds and a broiler chicken farm with around 50,000 birds, said the Maerkisch-Oderland district in Brandenburg in a statement.

“The veterinary office has decided, in consultation with the relevant authorities, to remove the affected animals for animal welfare and health reasons,” the statement said.

Several German states have introduced measures to slow the spread of bird flu, including surveillance zones and orders to keep birds in stalls.

German Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer warned on Oct 24 that there had been a “very rapid increase in infections” over the past two weeks.

Germany’s national animal disease research centre, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), has warned of a “high” risk from the outbreak.

Because wild birds are affected – including, for the first time, cranes – the FLI warned that “further, possibly widespread transmission” is to be expected.

The authorities have urged the public to avoid contact with sick or dead animals.

The FLI has warned that bird-to-human transmission is possible in theory, although the actual danger is believed to be low. AFP