The poultry plague is spreading again in Berlin: two cases already registered, Senate warns poultry holder

The poultry plague is spreading again in Berlin: two cases already registered, Senate warns poultry holder

Poultry plague in Berlin: two cases detected

The highly pathogenic poultry plague occurred again in Berlin. Two cases have already been registered, which prompted the Senate to pronounce a warning. The animals concerned are a hawk from Treptow-Köpenick and a hiking falcon from Steglitz-Zehlendorf. The hawk was previously treated in the small animal clinic of the Free University of Berlin. On Thursday, proof of confirmation of the highly dangerous virus type H5N1 was received from the national reference laboratory at the Friedrich Loeffler Institute.

The Senate Department for Justice and Consumer Protection announced that the Virus of the H5N1 subtype has already been found several times this summer for wild birds and birds held in Germany and Europe.

As early as November 2022, the poultry plague performed at a bird kept in the Berlin zoo. At the beginning of the year, a swan and three seagulls were infected. In response to this, the zoological garden was temporarily closed to visitors. Wild birds in Berlin were also affected in the winter of 2021/2022.

It is known that the poultry plague can also be transferred to humans in individual cases and lead to diseases. However, a transfer from person to person has not yet been proven. Some mammals were also affected by the disease.

The Senate Department warns the population and therefore asks to report dead water, raven or birds of prey to the responsible veterinary and food supervisory authorities of the district so that an examination can be initiated. However, it should be noted that sick or died animals should never be touched. Collecting feathers is also not recommended. In contrast to water, raven or birds of prey, smaller songbirds and pigeons are less susceptible to the poultry plague pathogen.

Poultry holders are asked to protect their animals especially from contact with wild birds. It is recommended to make food, litter and potions for wild birds inaccessible. All poultry postures that are not yet registered with the district veterinary supervision must be registered immediately. In addition, unusually occurring sick or dead poultry should also be reported to the authorities.

It is important to curb the spread of the poultry plague in order to prevent further spread of the disease. The population is asked for increased attention and participation to keep control of the situation.