Overview
- Germany’s Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut reports 21 confirmed Newcastle cases in poultry, the first outbreaks in roughly three decades.
- About 125,000 birds have been culled as a precaution to stop further spread, according to the institute.
- Berlin’s Treptow-Köpenick district placed Schmöckwitz within a 10-kilometer surveillance zone with movement restrictions and vaccination checks following a March 5 outbreak in Dahme-Spreewald.
- A separate H5N1 avian influenza outbreak was confirmed at a turkey farm in Drasdo (Elbe-Elster), with roughly 4,800 birds to be killed and protection and surveillance zones established.
- Veterinary authorities urge keepers to register holdings, report unusual illness or deaths immediately, verify required vaccinations for chickens and turkeys, and maintain strict hygiene as epidemiological investigations continue.