Avian influenza is an animal disease that can occur in poultry, especially chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, but also in other poultry as well as swans and other wild birds. The official name is therefore "avian influenza".

There are different types of this disease, which cause different degrees of illness in animals; for example, the virus types H5N1 or H7N7. Transmission to humans is possible in individual cases through intensive contact with infected poultry, but not through consumption of poultry products, especially if they have been heated.

Since the first case of bird flu in wild birds in Germany, stricter protective measures have been in place nationwide in areas of infection and in so-called risk areas, where the transmission of the virus from wild birds to domestic poultry is higher than in other areas.

Behavior when finding dead birds:

• Do not touch animal
• If necessary, secure the site so that children do not play with the dead birds, for example.
• Information from the veterinary and food control office of the county/town responsible for your place of residence