Germany is battling a rapidly escalating outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1), with more than 400,000 poultry already culled and authorities warning that the worst may yet be ahead.

Data from the Friedrich‑Loeffler‑Institut (FLI), the nation’s federal animal disease authority, indicates the virus has struck at least 30 commercial farms. So far, chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys have been culled at those locations in an effort to prevent further spread.

The hardest-hit regions are the north-eastern states of Mecklenburg‑Western Pomerania and Brandenburg. In Brandenburg’s Märkisch-Oderland district, officials announced plans to cull an additional ~130,000 birds on top of around 150,000 already destroyed earlier this year.

Agriculture ministers from the federal and state level convened emergency talks this week to coordinate a response, with the FLI having raised the national bird-flu risk level to “high”.

Migratory wild birds are believed to be the main carriers of the virus. The FLI notes that the current outbreak has begun earlier than usual and that wild cranes — a species not often heavily affected in past seasons — are now dying in large numbers in northwestern Brandenburg.

Although the risk of human infection remains low, officials caution that farm workers handling infected animals face a moderate risk. The poultry industry is also bracing for possible production disruptions and higher costs if the outbreak expands.

Farmers whose flocks are culled are eligible for compensation. German Agriculture Minister Alois Rainer has moved to raise the upper limit of compensation payments from around €50 to as high as €110 per animal, reflecting rising market values.

With the autumn migration of birds still increasing, Germany may face one of its worst avian-influenza seasons in recent years — potentially rivalling the 2021 wave when over two million poultry were destroyed.

The industry and authorities emphasise strict biosecurity measures: poultry must be housed indoors, farm equipment and footwear de-contaminated, and any contact with dead wild birds avoided. Any sudden deaths in domestic flocks must be reported immediately.

As the outbreak evolves, Germany is working closely with European animal-health agencies to monitor the situation across borders and coordinate containment efforts. (ILKHA)