More than 30 commercial poultry farms in Germany have culled their animals amid avian influenza, German animal health institute said Sunday.
According to initial surveys, around 400,000 chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys have been culled and subsequently disposed of to prevent further spread of the disease.
"We had similar figures in 2021, the strongest 'avian influenza year' to date. It is impossible to predict how the situation will develop, but the FLI [Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut] is expecting a further increase in outbreaks and cases," institute head Christa Kühn said. "The situation remains highly dynamic."
The heaviest losses have occurred in the north-eastern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Brandenburg, which surrounds Berlin. In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, nearly 150,000 laying hens were culled in two locations.
On Sunday, a district in the eastern state of Brandenburg announced that another 130,000 birds would be killed following the detection of bird flu cases.
