Bernburg. Avian influenza has been detected at a turkey fattening farm in Klein Oschersleben. The responsible district authority, Börde, has ordered the necessary measures and established a protection and surveillance zone around the village. The ten-kilometre radius around Klein Oschersleben, which requires special monitoring, also includes areas in the Salzlandkreis district up to and including Hakeborn, Egeln and Schachtsee Wolmirsleben.
The Veterinary Affairs and Consumer Health Protection Department of the Salzlandkreis is aware of around 270 private and commercial poultry farms in the affected area of the Egelner Mulde and has already informed the commercial farms. The veterinary offices of the two district administrations have been working closely and professionally together from the outset in this situation.
To protect against the highly infectious virus in commercial poultry, the Salzlandkreis has issued a general order under animal health legislation and published it on its website under the section on veterinary matters and consumer health protection; the order comes into effect today.
This means that poultry must be kept indoors in the designated areas of the Salzlandkreis district and further restrictions apply. "From now on, poultry must remain indoors or be kept in secure facilities," explains vet Dr Malte Kienitz, the responsible head of department at the district administration. "The transfer of eggs and (slaughter) poultry from the farms or transport is only possible with an exemption licence. We check and monitor the holdings ex officio and will also carry out inspections." In any case, however, poultry farmers must observe the hygiene regulations and report any conspicuous animals. The responsible department in the Salzland district can be contacted by telephone on
These measures to protect poultry can only be lifted at the beginning of April at the earliest, and only if no further outbreaks occur, according to a provisional timeline from the Veterinary and Consumer Health Protection Department of the Salzlandkreis district.