The entire country has been declared a risk area due to bird flu

Hundreds of thousands of animals affected

Bird flu: Germany’s neighboring country declared a risk area

Updated on November 8, 2024 – 9:28 p.mReading time: 1 Min.

Bird flu breaks out in Europe every year. Now it is hitting Austria particularly hard. The country is reacting.

Austria has classified the entire country as an area with an increased risk of bird flu. From Friday, poultry farmers must take measures to prevent contact between their animals and wild birds. This was announced by the Ministry of Health in Vienna.

In recent weeks, the viral disease has been detected in wild birds in several regions of Austria. Four poultry farms with a total of around 200,000 animals in Upper Austria and Lower Austria are already affected.

The ministry ordered that poultry should no longer be fed outdoors. In addition, the animals must be protected from infected wild birds with roofs or nets. In 25 districts with a significantly increased risk, even stricter rules apply: businesses with more than 50 animals must keep their birds in the stable.

Avian influenza outbreaks occur more frequently in Europe every year in spring and autumn. The highly contagious virus can be transmitted from wild birds to breeding animals, with infected poultry usually dying. In rare cases, people can become infected. So far, such cases have not been detected in Europe.