Detection of avian influenza in a wild goose The Veterinary and Food Inspection Office of the Oberbergischer Kreis provides information.

Oberbergischer Kreis. As part of wild bird monitoring, a wild goose was tested for the bird flu virus. The Friedrich-Loeffler-Institute has now officially confirmed that the highly pathogenic bird flu virus (H5N1) has been detected.

The wild goose was found at the Bevertalsperre. Since this is a wild bird, no further control measures will be taken.
The Veterinary and Food Monitoring Office of the Oberbergischer Kreis advises poultry keepers to be cautious.

Guidelines for poultry farms:

The following protective measures are recommended for all poultry farms, regardless of stock size:

• Drinking water for poultry should be offered in a way that makes it inaccessible to wild birds.

• Poultry housing and runs should only be entered with separate clothing and shoes; manure adhering to the soles of shoes can contribute to further spread.

• Comprehensive cleaning and disinfection before each stocking or after each destocking of poultry, as well as for poultry transport vehicles and containers.

• Minimizing direct and indirect contact opportunities between poultry and wild waterfowl, as well as contact with natural water bodies.

• Poultry should only be fed in locations that are inaccessible to wild birds.

• Feed, bedding, and other items that poultry may come into contact with should be stored in a manner that makes them inaccessible to wild birds.

• If there are increased deaths in poultry farms, the Veterinary and Food Monitoring Office of the Oberbergischer Kreis must be informed immediately.

Guidelines for the population

Individual dead sparrows or blackbirds are not unusual. They may have died of old age or parasites. According to current knowledge, songbirds do not pose a particular risk of transmitting bird flu.

Dead birds should be left in nature or, if found on private property, can be disposed of in household waste (in the residual waste bin). People who find a dead songbird while walking or in their garden can pick it up with a plastic bag, turn the bag inside out, wrap the animal in it, and dispose of it in the trash bin.

If many dead birds are found in one location or individual or multiple dead larger birds such as geese, swans, ducks, or birds of prey are found, they should not be touched. Instead, the Veterinary and Food Monitoring Office of the Oberbergischer Kreis should be informed. They can then initiate testing for avian influenza. Whether a dead bird has died from the bird flu virus can only be determined in a laboratory.

Contact between pets and dead or dying wild birds should be avoided.

Poultry farms that have not yet been registered - including hobby farms - must be registered immediately with the animal disease fund and reported to the Veterinary and Food Monitoring Office of the Oberbergischer Kreis.

For reports or further questions, the Veterinary and Food Monitoring Office can be reached at

Phone number:02261 88-3903 or via email: amt39@obk.de