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District Office Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen

Press release

dated 20.11.2025, No. 188

Bird flu: Veterinary office reminds people to comply with hygiene measures

Recommendation to prepare for compulsory stabling

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District Office Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen

Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen district. Bird flu has spread to Upper Bavaria in recent weeks. The highly pathogenic pathogen has not yet been detected in the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen, but the cases with positive findings are getting closer. The veterinary office therefore recommends that all poultry farmers implement hygiene measures and prepare for compulsory stabling in order to be able to react quickly if necessary.

So far, the virus has been detected several times in wild birds in Bavaria, which increases the risk of introducing the virus into poultry farms. The Friedlich-Löffler Institute (FLI) classifies this risk as high. However, it can be reduced with strict farm hygiene measures.

This includes

  • a clear separation between street and stable clothing, including a change of shoes. The stable and the exercise area should only be entered with protective clothing. Hands should also be washed and disinfected when entering or leaving the stable.
  • Wild birds should not come into contact with domestic poultry. Domestic poultry must not be fed outdoors to avoid attracting wild birds.
  • The barn and the run should only be entered with protective clothing.
  • Strangers should not enter the stables or the premises.
  • Other animals should be kept away from the stall or run.

A leaflet on protective measures in small holdings is available on the FLI website: Leaflet: Protective measures against avian influenza in small holdings.

The recommendations apply to farms as well as to hobby animal keepers or owners of small flocks. Should it become compulsory to keep birds indoors, aviary keeping will be permitted. The prerequisite for this is that the run is equipped with a barrier that is insurmountable for wild birds, as well as a tight roof construction.

The Veterinary Office reminds hobby livestock owners or owners of small flocks to notify the Agricultural Office in Holzkirchen and the Veterinary Office in Bad Tölz of their livestock holdings and to register them with the Bavarian Animal Disease Fund. Anyone who fails to report the keeping of chickens, ducks, geese, pheasants, guinea fowl, partridges, pigeons, turkeys, quails or ratites is committing an administrative offense which may result in a fine.

Further information on avian influenza:

https://www.lgl.bayern.de/tiergesundheit/tierkrankheiten/virusinfektionen/gefluegelpest/index.htm

https://www.fli.de/de/aktuelles/tierseuchengeschehen/aviaere-influenza-ai-gefluegelpest/

Marlis Peischer
Press Officer / Head of the Press Office
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen District Office