German Military Joins Fight Against Bird Flu

The fire department on Rügen helps pick up dead birds from the ice
Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: The fire department on Rügen helps pick up dead birds from the ice

Officials on the Baltic island of Rügen have appealed to the military for help in collecting dead birds and disinfecting contaminated areas. The defense ministry has responded with aid.

As the number of confirmed cases of bird flu on the island of Rügen rose to 41 on Saturday, local officials turned to the rest of the country for desperately needed aid in preventing the spread of the bird flu.

"We have to return to the same spot every two hours or half a day to collect more dead animals. It is an endless task," said Kerstin Kassner, head of the island's authority responsible for managing the disease outbreak. She and others working in her team have appealed to the federal military for help in collecting the birds.

Very serious situation

Meanwhile, the entire island of Rügen has been declared an "observation zone." Every reported bird carcass must be collected and sent off to laboratories for testing.