The canton of Zurich lifts all bird flu measures

The Canton of Zurich Veterinary Office is lifting the protective measures against bird flu introduced at the beginning of this year. The situation is stable, says the relevant decision published on Thursday.

On December 25, 2023, a dead mute swan was found in Oerlingerried in Kleinandelfingen ZH, which turned out to be suffering from the highly contagious virus.

Since then, no dead wild birds have been reported with a suspected group of birds, the veterinary office noted. The virus has also not been registered on poultry farms.

The control and observation area around the Oerlingerried, which was issued on January 4 and in which poultry farmers had to take various safety measures, will therefore be lifted again on Friday. The walking paths around the main ponds are also generally accessible again.

This means that there are currently no national or local measures regarding bird flu in Switzerland, the veterinary office writes on its website. However, the case in Oerlingerried shows that the animal disease can return at any time.

“For this reason, we recommend that all poultry farmers implement biosecurity measures when handling and caring for their animals.” The agency mentions, among other things, changing clothes when entering the poultry house and limiting visitors. It is also recommended that feeding and watering points be located so that wild birds do not have access to them. (saw/sda)