GERMANY: Germany tries to combat rapid spread of bird flu on island of Ruegen as first cases on mainland are reported

Record ID: 872584

  • Title: GERMANY: Germany tries to combat rapid spread of bird flu on island of Ruegen as first cases on mainland are reported
  • Date: 20th February 2006
  • Summary: SOLDIERS WITH DISINFECTANT AND WEARING GAS MASKS AT ROAD BLOCK SIGN SOLDIER SPRAYING TRUCK TYRES CAR DRIVING THROUGH TUB NEARBY, LEAVING TOWN
  • Embargoed: 7th March 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • City:
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: Health
  • Reuters ID: LVA9H83RD6B5JNL52CGX85FNKFBI
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: The German army has prepared for battle on Monday (February 20) to halt the spread of bird flu after government officials confirmed that the deadly H5N1 virus has now reached Germany's mainland.
    Some 60 soldiers from Germany's Bundeswehr army specialising in chemical, biological and nuclear contamination situations, clad in disease protection suits and gas masks, have been disinfecting all vehicles passing through bird flu protection zones on the Baltic island of Ruegen.
    But four times as many soldiers were sent to the Baltic coast in the east German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern on Monday to help gather up corpses of dead birds to prevent a wider outbreak of the disease.
    State agriculture minister Till Backhaus told reporters in the state capital of Schwerin that "all dead animals need to be recovered in order to interrupt the infection chain," adding "that's the main task."
    The coast guard also said that the military was using Tornado reconnaissance aircraft to search for bird corpses along the Baltic coast.
    The number of dead birds from the wild on Ruegen infected with H5N1 rose to 79 over the weekend and worry that the disease would spread to farm birds has hit fever pitch in the media.
    On Sunday evening authorities confirmed the disease had spread to the mainland despite intensive efforts to contain it on Ruegen. The Agriculture Ministry said two dead birds on the mainland had the H5N1 disease, bringing the total to 81 cases.
    So far the disease has not been found in any of Germany's 15 other states.
    Sections of the sparsely populated resort island that lies 200 km (120 miles) north of Berlin have been closed to the public and the entire island was put under close observation.
    Local authorities on Ruegen officially declared state of catastrophe for the island.
    German Chancellor Angela Merkel inspected the island on Sunday and described the situation as grave.
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