Germany culls over 400,000 poultry amid bird flu outbreak

Germany has culled more than 400,000 poultry as bird flu cases continue to rise across the country, authorities said on Sunday.

The Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) said current outbreaks resemble the severe wave recorded in 2021, one of the worst years for avian influenza in Germany.

According to the institute, bird flu has been detected in 30 farms so far, leading to the culling and destruction of chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys to contain the spread.

"It is impossible to predict how the situation will develop," the institute warned.

The heaviest losses have been reported in the northeastern states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Brandenburg.

Authorities in Brandenburg's Markisch-Oderland district announced plans to cull an additional 130,000 animals after already destroying around 150,000 poultry earlier this year.

Mass deaths among cranes have also been reported in the Linumer Teichland area in northwestern Brandenburg.

During the 2020-2021 winter season, Germany was forced to cull more than 2 million poultry due to bird flu outbreaks.