The highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 is spreading across Germany at a dramatic rate. Since the beginning of September, the Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI) has reported over 85 confirmed outbreaks in commercial poultry farms, leading to the culling of more than 700,000 domestic animals. Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, and North Rhine-Westphalia are particularly hard hit. The FLI assesses the risk of further introductions into poultry stocks as high and does not expect a rapid de-escalation.
For the first time on this scale, thousands of cranes are dying from the virus. In the Linum pond area in Brandenburg alone, over 1500 carcasses were recovered, and several hundred in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The autumn migration is intensifying the spread: infected waterfowl are carrying H5N1 further via resting places. By the end of October, the FLI had registered around 300 positive wild bird findings; the actual number is likely to be significantly higher.
Mandatory housing is now in effect across ten federal states, either nationwide or on a district basis. The Saarland, Hamburg, and Brandenburg have ordered statewide housing, while in Lower Saxony, bans affect districts like Cloppenburg, Vechta, and Gifhorn. Zoos are upgrading protective nets and disinfection gates. In some regions, hunters are allowed to shoot infected cranes to reduce transmission.
Lower Saxony, a stronghold of poultry farming, is suffering particularly: in the Cloppenburg district, eleven farms have been infected since mid-October, and over 113,000 turkeys have been culled. Agriculture Minister Miriam Staudte warns of economically dramatic consequences and potential price increases for eggs and poultry.
Regions such as the district of Goslar and the Harz mountains have so far been spared. However, the State Office for Consumer Protection advises caution: hobby farmers should house their poultry, and walkers should report dead birds.
The Robert Koch Institute and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment see no increased risk to humans. There have been no human cases in Germany. Only individuals with close contact to infected animals are at risk. Cooked poultry and pasteurized milk are safe.
Never touch dead birds; report them to the authorities instead. Keep dogs and cats on a leash. House poultry and store feed indoors. Disinfect shoes. Flu vaccination recommended for risk groups.
The FLI expects a shift southward and a winter peak. The 2025 wave already surpasses the third-worst epidemic of 2017. Vaccination trials are underway, but biosecurity remains crucial.
Sources
- Friedrich Loeffler Institute (FLI): Risk assessments and Animal Disease Information System (TSIS)
- DIE ZEIT/dpa: Reports from October 2 and 23, 2025
- tagesschau.de: Reports from October 29 and November 4, 2025
- gefluegelnews.de: Bird Flu Ticker, Update November 6, 2025
- rbb24: Live Ticker Bird Flu Brandenburg, November 1, 2025
- topagrar.com: Map of Housing Mandates and Outbreaks, November 6, 2025
- LAVES Lower Saxony and LAVE NRW: Current General Decrees
- NABU Brandenburg: Statements on Crane Deaths
