Avian influenza

From December 2, 2025, the veterinary office has ordered poultry along the Neckar river to be kept indoors. In the meantime, the suspicion of wild fowl plague - also known as bird flu or avian influenza - has been confirmed in a swan found dead in Ludwigsburg-Hoheneck. This brings the total number of confirmed cases of wild fowl plague in the Ludwigsburg district to three.

Since 2 December 2025, all poultry farmers in the district of Ludwigsburg who keep all or part of their poultry in a zone up to 500 meters to the right or 500 meters to the left of the banks of the Neckar or in the districts of Hessigheim, Benningen or Neckarweihingen must keep their poultry indoors. This means that poultry may either only be kept in closed stables or under a device consisting of an overhanging, tight cover that is secured at the top against entry and a side boundary that is secured against the entry of wild birds. Nets or grids with a maximum mesh size of 25 millimeters can also be used as a top cover.

Poultry farmers can use the following link to check whether the parcel of land on which they keep poultry is wholly or partly within one of the two 500-meter zones: https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/699bcbef5a85453293359e68c9885ca2. Information can also be obtained from the Ludwigsburg District Office Veterinary and Food Inspection Department, Hindenburgstr. 20/3, Room 111, 71638 Ludwigsburg, Tel. 07141 144-2031.

Poultry exhibitions and poultry markets prohibited

The stricter biosecurity measures continue to apply to all other poultry farmers in the district from the first animal onwards. The general ruling prohibits poultry exhibitions, poultry markets and events of a similar nature within the two 500-meter zones and in the districts of Hessigheim, Benningen and Neckarweihingen.

Under certain conditions, the veterinary office can approve exceptions to the obligation to keep animals confined in individual cases. Anyone who violates the obligation to keep animals in stables commits an administrative offense, which is punishable by a fine.

Stabling obligation is intended to prevent the spread of avian influenza to poultry flocks

"The risk of poultry kept outdoors coming into contact with the avian influenza pathogen is significantly higher than for poultry kept exclusively indoors. Influenza viruses are transmitted to domestic poultry primarily through contact with virus-containing excrement from wild birds that has been released into surface water, feed or the litter of poultry kept outdoors," explains Dr. Ulrich Koepsel, Head of the Veterinary and Food Monitoring Department. However, influenza viruses could also be introduced into poultry houses by the livestock owner via litter, equipment, footwear or clothing contaminated with excrement from infected wild birds. For this reason, it is of great importance that the mandatory biosecurity measures are observed even in the smallest poultry farms in order to prevent the spread of avian influenza from wild birds to poultry flocks and thus not to endanger the animal production - eggs and poultry meat - of high-quality food in Baden-Württemberg.

Poultry will only be officially ordered to be kept indoors if the epidemic pressure and the risk of the virus entering the domestic poultry population from the wild poultry population is high and this measure is therefore absolutely necessary. Local conditions and the occurrence of infected wild birds play a role in the decision as to where in the district a containment order is issued. As it is not always possible to keep poultry in a closed barn due to animal welfare concerns, the possibility of preventing poultry from coming into contact with wild birds or their excrement in other ways, such as secured side boundaries and covers, has been opened up.

Current situation in Baden-Württemberg

You can find the general ruling under Official announcements

Restricted area in the district of Ludwigsburg

FLI: "The number of outbreaks of avian influenza in poultry and the number of cases in wild birds in Germany continues to rise sharply. Numerous European countries are also affected. An easing of the situation is not yet in sight. The situation requires urgent and targeted measures to minimize the risk to poultry stocks. The current risk assessment of the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut is therefore "high" for all risks relating to wild birds and poultry. There are hardly any possibilities to reduce the spread and animal suffering in the wild bird sector." .

Source Fli, as of 03.12.2025

Cases confirmed by the FLI can be viewed with a one-day delay via the link www.tsis.fli.de can be accessed. In the current season, cranes are particularly affected.
The overview map in TSIS only shows active cases, so wild birds do not appear on the map. The veterinary offices in Baden-Württemberg have been instructed to cancel confirmed cases immediately. Therefore, use the "List of individual cases" and filter by federal state or district, as deactivated cases are also listed here. Alternatively, the FLI publishes a weekly overview map of the confirmed cases of the last 28 days on its homepage.

In 2021, a mobile poultry trader sold positive animals to numerous small holdings throughout Germany. This also affected a farm in the district of Ludwigsburg.
2022 was spread via a state association show of pedigree poultry breeders in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
2023 three positive gulls were found at the Aldinger lock.

Since 21.01.2023, every keeper of chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl, partridges, pheasants, ratites, quails, ducks and geese must comply with a catalog of measures to prevent the introduction of the virus into their livestock. In addition to securing the entrances to stables against unauthorized entry, the wearing of protective clothing by persons outside the company and compliance with cleaning and disinfection measures, it is essential that livestock owners inform the competent veterinary office immediately if they notice symptoms of illness or unclear deaths in their livestock. These laboratory diagnostic clarification tests are free of charge for farms located in Baden-Württemberg and are to be carried out exclusively in the state testing facilities. The requirement to comply with these biosecurity measures applies indefinitely for the time being.

Homepage Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection

General decree

With the help of these checklists, poultry farmers can check and, if necessary, improve the biosecurity level of their poultry farming on their own, even without an acute epidemic situation.

27.11.2025 Second case of avian influenza detected in wild birds in Ludwigsburg district - veterinary office will order compulsory stabling along the Neckar river

20.11.2025 Avian influenza detected in wild birds in the district of Ludwigsburg

Owners of chickens or turkeys are legally obliged to have all their animals vaccinated against Newcastle disease. Various live and inactivated vaccines are available for this purpose. The live vaccines can be administered via the drinking water, eye drops or as an aerosol spray.
StIKo Vet: Statement on compulsory ND vaccination of poultry in hobby farming

Tel. 07141 144 2031

For emergencies that cannot be postponed at weekends and on public holidays, please note our answering machine (Tel. 07141-144-2031).

Friedrich-Löffler-Institute

Ministry of Rural Areas

Hygiene rules for small poultry farms