Avian influenza detected in goose in Berlin

Avian influenza has been detected in a dead bean goose in Berlin.

The animal was found at Tegeler See in Reinickendorf, the Senate Department for Justice and Consumer Protection announced on Thursday. The Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI), which is responsible for animal health, has confirmed that it is the H5N1 subtype.

First case since August

This is the first confirmed case in Berlin since August, when avian influenza was found in two wild birds. Typically, the cold season is the peak season. However, experts assume that the pathogen is now present in European wild bird populations all year round. At the end of last year, the zoo had to close for weeks after avian influenza was detected in a waterfowl.

Appeal: Report dead birds

The Senate Department has now appealed to citizens: "Anyone who finds dead waterfowl, ravens or birds of prey should report the discovery to the relevant district veterinary and food inspectorate so that an investigation can be arranged." Sick or dead animals should not be touched under any circumstances and feathers should not be collected. Poultry farmers have been called upon, among other things, to protect their animals from contact with wild birds. Humans can be infected with the virus in individual cases, but human-to-human transmission has not yet been documented.