Layers culled following AI outbreak in Germany

An avian influenza outbreak, subtype H7N7, has been reported at a commercial layer farm near the city of Herzlake in Lower Saxony, located in the north-western part of Germany, local agriculture officials have confirmed.

The virus killed 50 of 10,104 susceptible birds, and the remaining birds were culled immediately, and poultry from three non-commercial farms in a 1-kilometer radius around the outbreak location were also culled as a preventive measure.

Source of virus unknown

An investigation into the outbreak is under way, and so far the source of the virus isn’t known. No poultry or poultry meat from the farm has been sent to other locations, and eggs have been moved within Lower Saxony but not to other countries.

Besides the recent UK outbreak, the H7N7 strain has been responsible for a handful of outbreaks in Europe over the past few years.

Poultry production region

Lower Saxony is a leading poultry production region in the country. Outbreaks of the H5N8 strain were reported there in December, as well as cases of the milder, low pathogenic form of the H7N7 strain in March and June this year.