Germany Reports Bird Flu Outbreaks Doubled Within a Week

Experts in Germany have warned that the avian influenza epidemic is spreading rapidly, as the number of outbreaks at commercial farms has doubled within just one week. More than 500,000 poultry have been culled to prevent further transmission.

Image: Health workers disinfect a poultry waste storage area to prevent the spread of bird flu.

Animal disease experts in Germany cautioned that the number of bird flu outbreaks at commercial poultry farms has nearly doubled within a week. Environmental protection organizations claim that the poultry industry itself is the main cause of the problem.

According to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) correspondent in Berlin, the Friedrich-Loeffler Institute (FLI) for Animal Health reported that the ongoing bird flu outbreak in Germany shows no sign of decline and continues to cause severe damage to wild bird populations.

Authorities have detected the H5N1 virus in about 250 samples of wild animal carcasses sent to laboratories. Given the fast-evolving nature of the epidemic, these figures are considered provisional, and the actual number of dead birds is believed to be much higher.

Although local veterinary agencies are currently overloaded, the FLI emphasized that collecting wild bird carcasses remains essential for research, assessment, and forecasting.

According to FLI experts, the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) is spreading along the routes of autumn migratory birds. The number of bird deaths recorded does not accurately reflect the true level of viral presence among wild populations, as many bird species shed the virus through feces without showing severe symptoms — making control efforts much more difficult.

A noteworthy aspect this year is that, although the virus has spread widely, the number of dead wild ducks and geese has been lower than expected. However, cranes have suffered mass mortality during this autumn — a phenomenon never recorded before in Germany.

FLI President Christa Kühn confirmed that the institute continues to observe a rise in infections, with no sign of improvement. Across Europe, migration routes of wild birds toward the southwest can be clearly tracked through the mapping of outbreak locations.

From early September to late October 2025, the FLI identified about 50 bird flu outbreaks at commercial poultry farms across Germany. Within just one week, the number nearly doubled, forcing the culling of over 500,000 chickens, ducks, and geese to contain the disease.

The most affected states include Niedersachsen, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Schleswig-Holstein. On November 2, a new outbreak was confirmed at a farm in Märkisch-Oderland district, Brandenburg, where about 10,000 ducks were culled.

To date, the total number of affected farms in 2025 has reached 85, surpassing that of 2017 — the third-largest bird flu wave in Germany’s history. The two most severe outbreaks occurred in 2021 and 2022, with the 2021 wave alone affecting 286 farms and leading to the culling of over 2 million poultry.

Source: Bnews