Berlin - The third case of the deadly bird flu virus in ten days has been discovered on a small poultry farm in the German state of Brandenburg resulting in the culling of 46 chickens, officials said Tuesday. The H5N1 virus was detected among 15 chickens on a property in the state, which surrounds the German capital Berlin.
The property's owner, who had contacted officials on Monday, was also looking after a neighbouring property with 31 chickens over the Christmas period. As a precaution the chickens on both properties were destroyed.
The three kilometre area has been shut off around the properties, which is dominated by small private holdings.
Poultry in the surrounding area is now being held in closed pens with owners have been told to immediately report any signs of illness among their birds to local veterinary authorities.
