Overview
- Laboratory tests confirmed H5N1 in one stall at a Grafschaft Bentheim complex housing 436,000 birds, and officials are assessing whether an exception to whole-farm culling can be justified.
- Across Germany about 1.5 million birds have been killed after more than 100 farm outbreaks, with the majority of cases concentrated in Lower Saxony, according to the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut.
- Fresh outbreaks triggered protection and surveillance zones in North Rhine-Westphalia after three holdings in Kleve district tested positive, and Brandenburg confirmed H5N1 in a flock of about 15,000 ducks in Märkisch-Oderland.
- Public and industry costs are mounting, with Lower Saxony’s animal-disease fund reporting roughly €5 million spent on culling so far and projecting total liabilities around €17 million including disposal, cleaning and compensation.
- Industry groups warn that fresh German Christmas geese could be scarce, with average retail prices near €19.30 per kilo and some imports also tightening, while authorities say properly cooked poultry and eggs remain safe to eat.