Poultry plague threatens Rhineland-Palatinate-this is how you protect your animal!

Poultry plague threatens Rhineland-Palatinate-this is how you protect your animal!

Germersheim, Deutschland - The poultry plague spreads in Germany, especially in Rhineland-Palatinate. The latest reports report a successful fight against a case in a small poultry farming, but the pet owners are called up to comply with strict bios safety measures in order to contain the spread of the virus. The risk of contagion in poultry farming has increased recently, especially through contact with wild birds. Experts recommend animal owners to avoid direct and indirect encounters between house and wild birds.

In addition, it is advised against feeding or soaking poultry outdoors in order to minimize an additional risk of infection. Furthermore, experts advise to cover freely enclosures with nets in order to keep wild birds away. The symptoms of the poultry plague include weakness, shortness of breath, equilibrium disorders and a severe decline in laying power. In the event of corresponding symptoms, the veterinary office should be informed immediately. Unregistered attitudes must also be reported to the veterinary office immediately. The risk of spreading the virus exists all year round, whereby the danger is particularly high in winter.

scientific knowledge and recent outbreaks

Recent data show that in January 2024 in Germany a total of nine outbreaks of the highly pathogenic aviare influenza (HPAIV) H5 were confirmed. In addition to four laying hen companies, four private postures and one turkey fattening stock were also affected. During this period there were also 31 reported cases of HPAIV H5 near wild birds, with nunning geese in the Wadden Sea. Other birds from various federal states such as Bavaria, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, Hamburg, Hesse and Thuringia were also affected. The subtype H5N1 has been demonstrated in all cases, with the exception of a case with which H5N5 was found on Helgoland during a dead coat.

In addition, four new HPAI genotypes have been identified in Germany since November 2023. The dominant genotype, GER-02-23-N1.1, was last demonstrated in September 2023, while the genotypes GER-11-23-N1.3 and GER-11-23-N1.2 have dominated since December 2023 and January 2024. In January 2024, an HPAIV H5N1 infection was also reported to a Rotfuchs in Karlsruhe, which was killed on a company premises, as the Friedrich Loeffler Institute reports. For more information and detailed checklists for the poultry plague, the websites of the institute and the district administration Germersheim are available.

The veterinary office can be reached for questions regarding the poultry plague at veterinaeramt@kreis-germersheim.de.

-transmitted by West-Ost-Medien