April 5 (Bloomberg) -- Germany detected its first case of bird flu in domestic poultry, marking the spread of the virus from wild populations to fowl destined for the food chain.

Ducks and turkeys near Leipzig, the eastern state of Saxony, have tested positive for H5 influenza virus, said Elke Reinking, the spokeswoman of the Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, in an interview today. The samples are now being tested for the H5N1 strain at the institute, she said.

``The veterinarian has already ordered the poultry to be culled,'' Reinking said. As many as 15,000 animals may be slaughtered, the news wire Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported, citing the Saxony's Social Affairs Ministry.

The presence of avian influenza in domestic poultry may raise the risk of human infection as people come into contact with birds during slaughtering, butchering, plucking feathers or in preparation for cooking. It also may hurt the poultry industry as consumers become more concerned about eating meat and eggs.

Avian influenza was first detected in Germany on the Baltic Sea island of Ruegen, which is in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, on Feb. 14, leading to the immediate imposition of preventive measures to try to keep the disease from spreading. So far the H5N1 strain has been detected in at least seven other of Germany's 16 states, mainly in wild birds.

To contact the reporter on this story: Claudia Rach in Berlin at crach1@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: April 5, 2006 05:46 EDT