February 6, 2006

Germany orders indoor poultry confinement in March

Germany Friday ordered all farm birds be kept indoors starting March 1 to prevent them from contracting bird flu from migrating fowl.

Agriculture Minister Horst Seehofer told reporters the measure would be in force for at least two months, depending on circumstances, and could go into effect earlier if authorities deem it necessary.

Germany imposed similar restrictions on poultry and other domestic birds during the autumn migratory season.

The H5N1 strain of bird flu has devastated poultry stocks and killed dozens of people in Asia, as well as in Turkey, where four children died last month of the disease. It has also been detected in birds in Russia, Romania, Croatia and Turkey.

Meanwhile, German authorities are also testing whether chicken imported from Belgium contains traces of a carcinogenic chemical found in animal feed last week.