Gotha (dpa/th) - Avian influenza is spreading in Thuringia. After initial evidence in Weimarer Land and Jena, the virus has now been found in the Gotha district, as the district announced on Tuesday. A breeding stock with a small number of ducks and chickens is affected.
After a pedigree poultry exhibition in Saxony, there were first indications of an infection in the animals, it said. The veterinary office had detected the H5N1 virus in a subsequent investigation. According to a spokeswoman for the district, the affected animals must now be killed. Samples were also taken from two poultry farms in the immediate vicinity. The results of these tests are not yet available.
The district then tightened the rules for poultry shows. They may only take place outside of so-called protection and surveillance zones and exhibited birds must first be examined for the avian influenza virus. If the virus continues to spread, the owners would have to expect further measures, the district said. This could include the ban on keeping poultry outdoors without adequate protection.
Bird flu, often also called avian influenza, can be triggered by various so-called avian influenza viruses. According to the Robert Koch Institute, no human diseases with these viruses have been reported in Germany. However, in close contact with sick or dead birds and their excrements, transmission from animals to humans can occur. It can easily spread in bird populations - for these animals the virus is a deadly threat. Recently there have been many bird flu cases in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The Berlin Zoo is currently closed due to bird flu.
