District officials reported the outbreak in a press release, which said that culling at the effected farm was expected to be completed on Monday 7 December, together with disinfection measures.

A restricted area of 1km has also been set up around the holding, where official veterinarians will enact increased surveillance measures, and local poultry keepers will not be allowed to move birds within this zone.

The district's press release described the affected farm as a company with about 12,900 animals, including laying hens, ducks, geese and turkeys.

Officials urged poultry keepers in unaffected areas to protect their businesses by keeping to strict biosecurity protocols, and reporting any unusual or unexplained deaths of poultry immediately, to ensure tests can be done quickly.

It is unclear whether the German outbreak is linked to the recent outbreaks in France, where the serotype of the virus involved has yet to be confirmed. However, the locations of the two regions involved are very far apart.

Further Reading

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