Avian influenza outbreaks and the aftermath
Bird flu reported in Germany, the Netherlands
The H5N8 bird flu virus has been detected on a poultry farm in Germany’s northern state of Schleswig-Holstein, the country’s ag ministry said. The virus has been spreading among wild birds in the region. Earlier this year, Germany also detected H5N8 bird flu at a poultry farm in the northern state of Lower Saxony.Meanwhile, Amsterdam’s agriculture ministry culled 200,000 chickens after highly pathogenic bird flu was detected at a farm in the eastern town of Puifijk. Amsterdam reported another case at a poultry farm last week Britain has also been culling poultry after bird flu cases there.
The Netherlands are Europe’s largest exporter of chicken meat and eggs, with fresh chicken exports of $1.5 billion in 2019. The US shipped $566 million of fresh poultry in 2019, with Germany shipping $436.2 million, according to “The World Factbook.”