Drawing alarm in the Berlin animal shelter: Newcastle disease strikes!

Drawing alarm in the Berlin animal shelter: Newcastle disease strikes!

In the Berlin-Lichtenberg animal shelter, the Newcastle disease, a very contagious viral disease, broke out among birds, which already led to severe measures. According to information from the Senate Department for Justice and Consumer Protection, the disease was determined on December 6th at four pigeons and is the first known outbreak in a Berlin bird population. This disease can be fatal for birds and has led to the death of eleven pigeons in the animal shelter since mid-November, as Tagesspiegel . Access to non -company people has been blocked and the staff is obliged to wear protective clothing to prevent the spread of the virus.

drastic measures for containment

The entire bird population of the shelter is currently being tested for the Newcastle disease, and close-knit risk analyzes are carried out. The according to the Berliner Zeitung every poultry holder who is not yet registered with the veterinary supervision must report immediately. There is an urgent need to report conspicuous sick or dead birds immediately. This viral disease is an animal disease of category A in accordance with EU law, which requires immediate countermeasures and not only affects the shelter, but also potentially on the surrounding poultry.

Although the Newcastle disease is typically harmless to humans, in rare cases, close contact can result in conjunctivitis. In view of the Situation, there could be further steps to defend the disease, which must be determined depending on the test results in the animal shelter. The national reference laboratory is also involved in the ongoing investigations and is expected to present the results next Thursday.