February 11, 2020

H5N8 bird flu outbreak reported in Germany backyard poultry farm

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said Germany reported a case of the highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu virus at a backyard poultry farm in Bretzfeld, southwest of the country, reported Reuters.

The OIE said 44 out of 69 birds were killed at the farm in Bretzfeld, in the Baden-Wurttemberg region. The report comes from Germany's food and agriculture ministry.

According to the report, all poultry and captive birds were culled and safely disposed, and there has been no transport of poultry, poultry products or captive birds from the infected area.

Previously, a H5N8 bird flu case was reported in a wild bird in Brandenburg, east Germany in January this year. However, Germany's food and agriculture ministry said no birds on farms were affected.

-      Reuters