Schwandorf, Germany - German authorities on Friday ordered 205,000 ducks being fattened on two poultry farms to be slaughtered after the avian influenza virus reached a new area of Bavaria state. In Schwandorf county, 140 kilometres north of Munich, officials said veterinarian-led teams would begin culling the birds in the course of the day after "clear evidence" of the virus was found in the county.
The two farms near the town of Nittenau belong to a duck-raising company which was hit by a similar cull several weeks ago at another site, in Wachenroth.
The officials said it was still uncertain whether the virus had actually entered the Nittenau farms. The birds will be killed and incinerated as a precaution.
Water birds are especially susceptible to the H5N1 virus, which can be fatal to humans. The fight against its spread is driven by the fear that the virus could mutate and possibly cause massive loss of human life worldwide.
