Outbreaks of avian influenza have been confirmed in several poultry farms in the district of Kleve. The corresponding findings from the Friedrich-Löffler-Institut (FLI) as the national reference laboratory reached the district administration today, Friday afternoon, November 14, 2025. These are two outbreaks in Geldern and one outbreak in the pilgrimage town of Kevelaer. There is a laboratory-confirmed suspected case at a holding in Goch. In close consultation with the North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for Consumer Protection and Food (LAVE), the district of Kleve had to order the culling of the entire flocks in the three holdings, totaling a good 30,000 animals, which has almost been completed. Avian influenza (H5N1) is a highly contagious viral disease, the outbreak of which causes great animal suffering within a very short time and is often fatal. This also has immense economic consequences for poultry farms.
Following official confirmation by the FLI, the district of Kleve issued a general ruling today, Friday, November 14, 2025, on the three outbreaks in Geldern and the pilgrimage town of Kevelaer, which will come into force on November 15, 2025. To contain the risk of transmission, protection and surveillance zones were set up around the three affected businesses. Due to the close proximity of the three protection zones, they were combined into one zone. The same applies to the three surveillance zones.
Additional measures will apply in both restricted zones from November 15, 2025. For example, kept birds may neither be brought into nor taken out of a livestock farm. The same applies to products, meat from slaughtered animals or feed that could carry the virus. Farms must also carry out daily disinfection measures on all access and exit routes. The holding of poultry exhibitions, poultry markets or events of a similar nature is prohibited in both restricted zones.
In the protection zone (red), stricter hygiene measures also apply - for example to disinfect the machines used. In addition, transporters carrying live poultry, meat or animal products such as eggs are not allowed to drive through the protection zone.
A list of all measures can be found online in the general ruling at www.kreis-kleve.de/Bekanntmachungen.
The defined zones can be viewed on the Internet as an interactive map under the following link:
Source: District of Kleve