Measures to contain bird flu are being extended

The national measures to contain bird flu will be extended until at least the end of April 2023. Poultry, including free-range, is temporarily not allowed to graze, the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Service (BLV) announced on Thursday. Meanwhile, the canton of Fribourg reported two new cases of bird flu.

This should prevent contact between wild birds and domestic poultry. The measures would apply to both livestock farming and hobby farming, the BLV wrote. These measures prevent the animals from accessing pasture, which is necessary for free-range farming.

Protecting animals against bird flu is a priority. The temporary containment of the exhaust is an exception. The BLV had promulgated the provisions nationwide in November 2022 after the responsible laboratories discovered the virus in a hobby shop near Winterthur ZH.

There were also numerous other cases this winter: in an animal shelter in the canton of Zurich, a group of black swans and several hundred wild birds across Switzerland were infected. On Thursday, the canton of Fribourg also reported two new cases of bird flu in black-headed gulls on Lake Murten. The number of cases in Switzerland has never risen so much at this time of year, according to the BLV. This indicates a new epidemic situation.

The cases that are now occurring are no longer mainly due to the introduction of migratory birds from abroad, but mainly due to the spread of the virus among birds living in Switzerland. Although gulls have mainly died so far, the virus can infect many other species of wild birds. (saw/sda)