After the outbreak of avian influenza in a farm in the district of Schwandorf, all of the around 70,000 ducks kept there are to be killed. As a spokesman for the Bavarian Control Authority for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs said, the culling of the animals would begin on Wednesday afternoon. The national reference laboratory at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute officially confirmed the case.
In response, operations were suspended. Further measures such as a protection and surveillance zone and the ordering of a stable requirement would be regulated by the local district offices, it said. The spokesman could not yet estimate how long the culling of the animals would take. This depends on various factors, such as the capacity of the companies responsible for disposing of the carcasses.
Also known as bird flu, avian influenza is transmitted through direct contact with infected animals or contaminated materials. An infection of people in this way is not yet known in Germany. However, one should not touch dead birds, several dead or sick animals in one place should be reported to the veterinary office.