Strict measures

Bird flu: increased risk throughout Austria

Symbolic image

(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

On Friday night, the whole of Austria was declared a high-risk area with regard to bird flu (avian influenza). Due to the risk classification, the feeding of animals outdoors is prohibited throughout Austria and contact between poultry and wild birds must be prevented by nets or roofs. 

This was announced by the Ministry of Health on Thursday afternoon. 25 districts in Lower and Upper Austria, Styria, Salzburg, Carinthia and Burgenland are also classified as high-risk areas. Stabling is compulsory for farms with more than 50 animals.

Feeding animals outdoors prohibited
New cases of bird flu were recently detected on four farms with around 200,000 animals in Upper and Lower Austria. There is also a suspected case in a turkey farm on the border between Lower and Upper Austria, reported Ulrich Herzog, Head of Veterinary Services at the Ministry of Health, during a background discussion.

Spread should be prevented
The number of cases in wild birds has also risen recently. "In order to contain the spread, the whole of Austria has now been declared a high-risk area", explained the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, which is also responsible for animal welfare, in a press release. An ordinance to this effect was published on Thursday and comes into force on Friday.

The following 25 districts in six federal states are affected:

• Burgenland: Güssing, Jennersdorf, Mattersburg, Oberpullendorf, Oberwart

• Lower Austria: Waidhofen an der Ybbs (city), Amstetten, Melk, Scheibbs

• Upper Austria: Braunau am Inn, Grieskirchen, Linz-Land, Perg, Ried im Innkreis, Schärding, Wels-Land

• Salzburg: Salzburg City and neighboring towns in the Salzburg area

• Styria : Deutschlandsberg, Leibnitz, Hartberg-Fürstenfeld, south-eastern Styria

• Carinthia: Klagenfurt-Land, Völkermarkt, Wolfsberg