Bird Flu tests spark order for mass duck slaughter

German authorities said today that more than 200,000 ducks would be slaughtered at two farms in Bavaria after tests indicated the presence of the H5N1 strain of bird flu.

The head of Bavaria’s state office for health and food safety, Volker Hingst, said the slaughter was “a purely precautionary measure,” taken after “laboratory indications of H5N1” were found.