At first only cases in Alsace were known: Now the bird flu is said to have also arrived in southern Baden. This is confirmed by the Emmendingen Veterinary Office.
“The bird flu has already arrived in the district of Emmendingen. Bird flu cases have also occurred in the neighboring districts of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, Lörrach, Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis, Waldshut and in the city of Freiburg,” said the Emmendingen district office when asked by the BZ. The Ministry of Rural Areas wants to comment on the development during the day. It was initially unclear where exactly the cases occurred in the rural and urban districts.
Last week, the district office of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald reported that an outbreak of avian influenza, H5N8, had been detected on a poultry farm in Beblenheim in Alsace, north of Colmar. It is the first case in the Haut-Rhin department since the virus appeared in France in November 2020.
In order to prevent any risk of spread, a three-kilometer protection zone and a 10-kilometer surveillance zone have been set up around the outbreak farm, within which the movement of poultry is prohibited and strict hygiene regulations must be observed.
According to experts, virus cannot be transmitted to humans
The H5N8 virus cannot be transmitted to humans and is transmitted by migratory birds. The veterinary office therefore advises all poultry farmers that the required biosecurity precautions must be carefully implemented in order to protect farm poultry. Failure to comply can lead to a reduction in compensation payments in the event of an epidemic.
There is also an obligation to have all chicken holdings registered with the veterinary office from the first animal onwards. Hunters should also be vigilant about sick or fallen wild birds.
For poultry keeping in the district of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald with more than 1000 poultry, the livestock keeper has to ensure, among other things, that entrances and exits to stables are secured against unauthorized access, that the company’s own protective clothing or disposable protective clothing is worn and taken off immediately after leaving the stalls, and that the devices are cleaned and disinfected again after each poultry housing or removal.
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