July 9, 2007

Germany slaughters 1,000 birds after bird flu scare

German authorities last week culled 1,000 domestic fowls after bird flu was detected in a goose in the eastern state of Thuringia, officials said.

All domestic birds within a two-mile radius of the town of Wickersdorf, where the H5N1-infected goose died, were culled late Friday, the Thuringian state health ministry said.

Veterinarians were conducted door-to-door inspections to ensure all animals at risk were properly disposed of, the ministry said.

Officials said the danger of infection spreading in the surrounding area was small as the infected bird lived on a small farm in a remote area.