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Mühlhausen (dpa / th) - To protect against avian influenza, domestic poultry in the Unstrut-Hainich district must be locked back in the stable from Saturday.
The district office has issued a corresponding general order, as the authority announced on Friday.
The trigger for the precautionary measure is the discovery of two dead wild birds in a pond in Mühlhausen, where avian influenza is suspected to be the cause of death.
According to the district office, they initially tested positive for A-influenza viruses, but according to the latter, further tests are still being carried out in the reference laboratory of the Friedrich Löffler Institute on the island of Riem near Greifswald.
Avian influenza, also popularly known as bird flu, is a highly contagious disease for chickens, ducks, geese and other birds.
It is triggered by certain subtypes of influenza A viruses.
The risk of infection is particularly high in the seasons of bird migration, i.e. in spring and autumn.
Wild birds can infect domestic fowl outdoors during this time.
Some subtypes can also infect humans.
The district office warned walkers not to touch dead birds and to keep dogs on a leash to avoid direct contact with dead birds.
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