Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) – Despite new bird flu cases in the south-west, the responsible ministry does not currently want to make stables for poultry nationwide. Since the epidemic has not yet spread across the country, the conditions for a so-called stable order are not given, the Ministry for Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection in Stuttgart said on Friday when asked by the dpa. We are in contact with the authorities and experts in order to be able to react immediately to changes. It is also particularly important that poultry farmers, animal parks and zoos comply with all measures. That is the “need of the hour”.
Avian influenza, also known as bird flu, has been spreading in the southwest for weeks and is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by influenza A viruses, which mainly affects waterfowl. According to experts, the disease is harmless to humans and can cause high losses in livestock. In the event of outbreaks, the authorities prescribe strict measures to ensure that the disease does not spread from wild populations to livestock.
Cases of avian influenza from Heilbronn and Freiburg became known only this week, where the animals are temporarily obligated to stay in a stable. Stuttgart and municipalities in the districts of Böblingen, Reutlingen, Tübingen and Karlsruhe are also affected. This is not enough for the Poultry Association of Baden-Württemberg, which last week called for a state-wide obligation to keep stables until March 31st.
