German officials to meet to discuss how to prevent spreading of bird fly

German officials on Tuesday convened a meeting of a national task force to discuss the country's response after suspected outbreaks of bird flu in Turkey and Romania.

The task force, including state and federal officials, will meet Wednesday in Bonn to discuss the threat posed to Germany and go over plans to prevent the disease from spreading to the nation's fowl, acting Agriculture Minister Juergen Trittin said.

Trittin on Tuesday urged German tourists visiting Turkey and Romania to avoid contact with birds and visits to bird markets, noting the disease can travel through clothing, shoes and other objects.

Germany's main farmers association has called for increased controls at airports and border crossings in an effort to prevent the disease from spreading, the AP reports. A.M.