Avian flu New H5N8 case with domestic chicken

Dangerous bird flu virus again detected in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

01/21/2015

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, there is another bird flu case. After the Ministry of the Environment in Rostock on Monday had given the all-clear, the highly infectious pathogen H5N8 has now been detected in a dead domestic chicken in an animal enclosure in the Anklam region in the district of Vorpommern-Greifswald, according to the latest release from the Ministry.

Pathogen confirmed in chicken of a hobbyist
New case of bird flu in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: As the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Consumer Protection currently informs, the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N8 in a chicken in a small poultry in the Anklam region, district Vorpommern-Greifswald „proven and officially confirmed“ been.

All 50 animals of the hobby owner killed
The affected hobby-keeper had in his stock a total of 2 geese, 27 ducks and 21 chickens, which were currently killed according to the ministry, at the same time, the epidemiological investigations have already started. In the light of the current case, the Ministry continues to ask that unclear disease or death in poultry should be screened for avian influenza as soon as possible and, for this purpose, promptly inform the competent veterinary and food inspection office in all suspected cases. Also, wild birds should not be allowed to contact with food and litter and animals generally should not be soaked in water, to which wild birds had access before, because experts suspect that these animals transmit the dangerous virus.

Fourth case of H5N8 since November
With the current case in the Anklam region, H5N8 has been detected for the fourth time since November 2014 - previously the virus was known only from Asia. „Once again we have proof that the virus is in the environment and that it does not care about the type of keeping and the size of a stock. First it was a large turkey, then a wild bird, then the Zoo Rostock and now a small stock. We will now decide in peace about all further steps“, explained Dr. Till Backhaus, Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Consumer Protection. (No)

Picture: schemmi