MV No further evidence of bird flu

MV: No further evidence of bird flu

01/20/2015

In recent months, bird flu cases have become known from various regions of Germany, including in the Rostock Zoo. Now, the Ministry of the Environment announced that there are currently no other indications of bird flu in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.

Swans did not die of bird flu
At the moment there is no further evidence of avian influenza in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. As the Minister of the Environment of the North-East German state, Till Backhaus (SPD), announced on Monday in Rostock, according to the news agency dpa, was at seven weekend in the National Park Vorpommersche Boddenlandschaft spotted swans not the highly infectious virus H5N8 responsible for their deaths. This pathogen has been detected several times in recent months in Germany, including in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

Bird flu in the Rostock Zoo
In the second week of January, a white stork had first died of bird flu in the Rostock Zoo. The Tiergarten lost a total of 60 birds, including all ibises, storks and all night and little egrets. The flamingos were reported to have antibodies to the virus. These animals would have survived the infection harmless. All birds of the zoo have been tested in recent weeks. „There are no other positive findings“, shared Backhaus with. In brief, this test must be repeated. A final all-clear can only be given afterwards. Zoo director Udo Nagel said the zoo is open again. However, the bird reptile house, the songbird aviary and the wading bird enclosure remained closed.

In East Asia, the pathogen has been known for some time
The virus subtype H5N8, which has been known in South Korea for some time, has been appearing in several European countries since November. For example, in a turkey farm in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and in Lower Saxony. Recently, the pathogen was first registered in Taiwan. It is not yet clear whether the virus has come to Europe via wild birds or the feed and poultry trade. Diseases of people exposed to H5N8 have not been reported so far. Other types of agents, such as H7N9, have been shown to transmit to humans. In infected people, typical bird flu symptoms, such as fever, cough and sore throat, were seen. In addition, symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and nausea and vomiting may occur. (Ad)

Picture: Karin Jung