H5N1 recurred in Germany

The bird flu has recurred in Bavaria, southern Germany, when experts confirmed that dead ducks on a farm in the state were due to H5N1 infection.

Disinfection at Wachenroth poultry farm (Photo: Reuters)

On August 25, State Environment spokesman said tests for sick and dead ducks in a Wachenroth poultry farm were positive for the H5N1 strain.

The spokesman said all 160,000 poultry on the farm will be destroyed while applying isolation measures. H5N1 virus was discovered after more than 400 ducks at this farm died in a short time. Authorities are continuing to investigate the origin of bird flu virus on the farm.

Last June, in Bavaria, veterinary authorities discovered a number of cases of H5N1 infection in wild birds. Avian influenza has appeared in Germany since last year.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), since 2003, 195 people have died out of 322 cases worldwide, mainly in Asia, and hundreds of millions of poultry have died or must kill.

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