Germany faces severe avian influenza outbreak

Germany is experiencing a significant avian influenza outbreak, with more than 4 million animals culled since October 2025. In the state of Lower Saxony alone, the economic damage is estimated at 41 million euros. A group of experts, including scientists from the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut and the Veterinary University of Hannover, reports that total costs across Germany since mid-October 2025 have reached 82 million euros, covering animal culling, compensation, and disinfection costs.

Ursula Gerdes, Managing Director of the Lower Saxony Animal Disease Fund, is urging the government to implement vaccination as a primary tool for disease control, noting that current measures are insufficient as the virus becomes a permanent presence in the country.

In Schleswig-Holstein, a recent outbreak at a poultry farm in Bark led to the culling of the entire flock. Authorities established a three-kilometer protection zone and a ten-kilometer surveillance zone, affecting 506 poultry farms and approximately 211,106 animals. These zones impose restrictions such as mandatory indoor housing and bans on moving live poultry.