Germany: Poultry industry warns of early outbreak of avian flu
The latest data from the Friedrich Loeffler Institute show that the H5N1 subtype is currently dominant in wild birds and is being transmitted to poultry farms – open-air, free-range, and range-based systems are considered particularly vulnerable. This development threatens not only individual farms, but the entire poultry production system in Germany.
Against this backdrop, the ZDG (ZDG) demands that an immediate review be conducted at the state level to determine whether mandatory confinement is necessary to prevent the introduction of pathogen-specific wild bird influenza viruses into poultry. "Such a signal is necessary to protect supply security and animal health ," the association stated.
At the same time, the ZDG points out that an exception must be made for goose farmers, for whom housing is often impractical: These farms should be allowed to continue to keep their geese in the open air without losing their insurance coverage from the animal disease insurance fund, provided they implement an appropriate biosecurity plan. "We call on the states to take joint action now. Waiting is not an option ," the ZDG President concluded.
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