Low pathogenic avian influenza H7N7 in domestic poultry in Germany in 2011

Between May and July 2011, a total of 23 outbreaks of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) subtype H7N7 occurred in poultry farms in Germany. The first cases were detected in the district of Gütersloh in the federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NW) where several birds showed severe clinical symptoms including drop in egg production, thin-shelled eggs, swollen heads (in turkeys), nasal and ocular discharge, respiratory distress and an unusually high mortality in some of the affected flocks.