Outbreak of Avian Influenza - What You Should Know Now

Again outbreak of bird flu
Avian flu is rife in Germany. In 2014, bird flu broke out in Lower Saxony; Since the end of January 2017, it has been rampant with the H5N5 type even in two variants. Panic is no more than ignorance, but education. Here are some important facts.

A virus infection
Avian influenza, as a technical term avian influenza, is caused by an influenza virus. Mainly affected are chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese.

Among chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys in large farms, the pathogen spreads epidemically (cynoclub /fotolia.com)

Other birds can also become infected, but the disease is less severe.

Dangerous and less dangerous variants
As with all influenza viruses, there are various subtypes and variants in bird flu. In addition, the individual types change quickly. Some, such as viruses H 5 and H 7, are highly pathogenic. The other 15 subtypes are less dangerous.

Where is the origin of bird flu??
Avian flu has been rampant in Asia since 2004. It is the subtype H5N1. It probably came from Thailand, then spread to China and was spread by migratory birds.

Which virus is raging in Germany?
In 2014, a very aggressive form of subtype H5N8 formed in South Korea. This raged in November 2014 for the first time under turkey in Mecklenburg.

How did the bird flu get to Germany??
Two transport routes came into question for the virus: migratory birds or poultry. Employees of poultry farms spread the virus or infected wild birds spread the chickens and turkeys in the fattening plants?

Official thesis: There were migratory birds
Researchers from the Friedrich Loffler Institute, the Federal Research Institute for Animal Health say: In all likelihood migratory birds from Asia brought the virus to Europe.

Is the poultry industry to blame?
The Naturschutzbund (NABU) questions this official thesis. He writes: "Numerous indications speak above all for a spreading of the virus by the poultry economy itself."

Poultry transports the virus?
The NABU considers it possible that the virus came via poultry transports from China first to Hungary, then to Austria, Poland and Germany.

Review required
"The fact that these outbreaks are mostly in the immediate vicinity of large slaughterhouses or on the suspected routes and rest areas of live poultry transports, calls urgently for a thorough review of all transport between the affected farms and slaughterhouses in the countries mentioned."

How dangerous is the current bird flu for people really?
A definite yes. The danger of getting infected is low in humans because we would have to ingest large amounts of the virus, but humans died of the disease.

RP-Online writes: "According to the World Health Organization, since 2003 about 850 people have contracted the highly pathogenic (highly pathogenic) pathogen. About 450 of them succumbed to the symptoms. Above all, the subtype H7N9 is observed. Although he is little pathogenic, but keeps unrecognized in the poultry for a long time and can be life-threatening for humans. In 2013, there were about 800 cases of illness and 300 deaths due to H7N9. Nothing is known about the current pathogen H5N8. "

In China, 79 people died of the H7N9 virus in January, more than ever before in a month.

How does bird flu spread??
As a bird disease, the flu spreads from sick animals to healthy - especially about the feces. Scavengers also catch the virus by eating birds that have died of the virus.

Who is at risk?
Above all, humans are endangered if they come into permanent contact with bird droppings, avian blood and other body fluids. At risk groups are employees in poultry farms and animal keepers in bird parks such as zoological gardens.

Other ways of infection
The infection also spreads over transport crates, vehicles and equipment that came into contact with sick animals. Essential for an epidemic spread of the disease is dust contaminated with the virus. In mass enterprises and zoos, a whole population can become infected.

Where does individual cases become an epidemic??
Individual wild birds that die do not cause epidemic. Meat farms, poultry farms, bird markets provide a breeding ground for an explosive increase of the virus.

If these are also located in urban centers, the bird flu virus can quickly combine with human influenza viruses - with potentially fatal results.

What poultry farmers should pay attention to
If more than two fatalities occur within a day or the weight changes rapidly in at least two animals in 24, a veterinarian should be contacted immediately.

Do not try lay diagnosis. Only veterinarian and animal pathologist can detect the virus.

What must consumers pay attention to?
All types of bird flu viruses are sensitive to high temperatures. No worries about avian influenza on grilled chicken: A well roasted chicken poses no danger - even if the animal was infected. Well-cooked means: The core temperature must be 70 degrees Celsius for at least two minutes.

Now zoos have to close?
Several zoological gardens, such as Hagenbeck Zoo in Hamburg, most recently the zoos in Wuppertal and Schwerin had cases of bird flu on the grounds. Emus died as well as pelicans-

The zoo in Wuppertal closed for a short time, Schwerin had closed a few days.

In the Berlin Zoo, the newly opened aviary remained closed, and in many zoological gardens visitors currently see no waterfowl on the open spaces. The ducks and geese in the Cologne Zoo, for example, are in the houses for safety.

Hundreds of thousands of birds have to die?
A definite yes. Since November 2016, 391,000 chickens, turkeys and ducks have been killed because bird flu has been detected in the herds. Even if only a few animals in a herd of the disease are affected, however, as a precaution, even animals are killed without positive findings.

It is necessary. Avian flu is more dangerous than ever, the pathogens are rapidly mutating and spreading rapidly.

What are the legal requirements??
The Agrarblatt writes: "The basis for combating avian influenza in Germany is the Avian Influenza Regulation in the version published on 8 May 2013 (Federal Law Gazette I p. 1212), which was amended by Article 29 of the Ordinance of 17 April 2014 (BGBl I, p. 388). "

Here you can read about what protective measures are prescribed, what the restricted and observation zones look like and how bird flu is officially recognized. (Dr.Utz Anhalt)