The blackbird in Flanders is again not doing well: “Deadly virus has reappeared”

There is concern among bird experts as the usutu virus or “black bird virus” is back. This is a virus that originally comes from Africa, but has also been circulating in Europe since the 1990s. “The virus probably hitched a ride with migratory birds,” says veterinarian Naomi Terriere of the Wildlife Health Center (UGent) in “The world today” on Radio 1. “Initially the disease caused little damage, but in 2016, 2017 and 2018 a serious epidemic has raged among the blackbirds in Flanders.” In 2017, the population even decreased by 50 percent.