New outbreak of the Usutu virus in North Rhine-Westphalia feared

Increased bird death in NRW by the Usutu virus?

For years, there are recurrent outbreaks of the so-called Usutu virus in Germany. The virus can affect birds and mammals, and in birds, infection often ends in death. Also in this year many birds in Germany have died from the consequences of the Usutu virus. The Nature Conservation Union found that a large proportion of the cases occurred in North Rhine-Westphalia.

This year, Germany is once again hit by the Usutu virus. The Naturschutzbund stated that about 1,380 birds were already classified as suspected cases this year. The majority of the affected animals came from North Rhine-Westphalia.

Blackbirds are apparently particularly affected by the so-called Usutu virus. For this reason, the disease is often referred to as blackbird dying. This year there was a larger number of dead or diseased birds in North Rhine-Westphalia. (Image: Bernd Wolter / fotolia.com)

Blackbirds especially affected

In 2011, a striking blackbird dying was last observed. But since the beginning of July this year, reports of sick and short time later deceased blackbirds are piling up again, explain experts of the nature conservation federation. In some of these cases, it was confirmed that the Usutu virus was indeed the cause of death. The deaths of Usutu viruses occur during the mosquito season from May to September. Infected birds are sick, apathetic and no longer flee humans or other dangers. After this condition, the affected birds usually die within just a few days. Since the disease is almost always found in blackbirds, the Usutu epidemic is often colloquially referred to as blackbird dying.

Especially many dead birds in NRW

In North Rhine-Westphalia alone, more than 500 reports have been received concerning possibly infected birds, the scientists of the Nature Conservation Union explain in a press release. About 100 more messages came from the area of ​​Baden-Württemberg and Saxony. So far, about 130 dead birds have been tested at the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine for the virus originally from South Africa, the experts report. In 45 birds so far the Usutu virus has been clearly detected. One third of the carcasses come from NRW, nine from Saxony, five from Rhineland-Palatinate and another five from Hesse.

Further investigations are not yet completed

Ongoing studies on about 20 other dead birds are expected to be completed by the end of November. This year, the disease also appears to have spread to regions in the north, the researchers say. Some cases were observed this year in the area of ​​Bremen and Hamburg. Blackbird populations appear to have been severely affected by the disease in the affected areas. The scientists from the Nature Conservation Union regard the infection as a continuation of the outbreak of Usutu virus from the previous year.

How should you deal with sick or dead birds??

Fortunately, due to the transmission of the virus by mosquitoes, the disease in Germany is only limited to the warmer seasons. Because of the large mosquito-plague in some regions of Germany this summer it probably came to increased infections, suspect the experts of the nature conservation federation. If you find any sick or already dead animals, you should report them and the carcasses of the dead birds should be sent in, according to the NABU. You can also specify suspicious birds or carcasses in the so-called reporting campaign for the blackbird dying of the Nature Conservation Union.

Where did the virus come from and how did it get to Europe??

The Usutu virus (USUV) comes from the family of the so-called Flaviviruses. It is transmitted between birds with the help of mosquitoes. These are considered the main authors of the disease. The virus responsible for many deaths among birds originally comes from Africa. The name of the virus is derived from the river Usutu in Swaziland. Presumably, the virus was introduced to Europe long ago by migratory birds. Since the mid-1990s, there have been repeated small outbreaks of the virus among birds in Europe. These are often associated with a blackbird death, explain the experts from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in a FAQ on the Usutu virus. (As)