Deadly virus found in Danish geese

Aquatic Bird Bornavirus 1 has spread from North America to Europe

The deadly bird virus Aquatic Bird Bornavirus 1 (ABB1) has been registered for the first time in the wild geese population in Denmark, according to new research conducted by DTU’s Veterinary Institute in co-operation with the University of Copenhagen and Copenhagen Zoo.

The virus, which is prevalent in wild geese populations in North America and leads to constipation and death among geese, has never before been registered in geese populations in Europe.

“It’s the first time the virus has been found among geese in Europe, and we are concerned it will spread in the same manner as in North America,” Mads Bertelsen, a vet at Copenhagen Zoo and one of the researchers behind the findings, told Videnskab.dk.

In North America, it is estimated 10-50 percent of all geese carry the virus.

In Denmark, the figures are much lower but still noticeable. In 2014, there were seven positive samples found among the brains of 333 hunter-killed geese examined in Denmark.

READ MORE: Deadly virus threatening Danish mink industry

Christmas goose still on
The research, which has just been published in the scientific journal Emerging Infectious Diseases, showed the virus was found in greylag geese, barnacle geese and pink-footed geese in Denmark.

“We don’t know how the virus has arrived to Europe, but one possibility could be that it has come via Greenland as some geese from Canada breed there,” Anders Fick Thomsen, one of the co-authors behind the research, told Videnskab.dk.

Not all the geese who contract the virus succumb to it. Some show no symptoms.

However, for many, it is a grisly end. They become constipated and literally eat until they die as the food they eat isn’t digested.

Despite the findings, the researchers said that there is no reason not to get stuck into a tasty goose this Christmas, as there is no evidence that the virus can be transmitted from geese to humans.




  • The international who shaped Copenhagen

    The international who shaped Copenhagen

    Anna Maria Indrio is one of the most important architects in Denmark, having contributed to shaping Copenhagen into what it is today. Among her best-known projects are the extension of SMK and Arken, as well as the Natural History Museum and the Darwin Centre in London. She moved here 60 years ago, when “Copenhagen was gray and dormant. Predictions suggested it would become depopulated. But putting people at the center changed everything,” she said

  • Internationals’ labour contributes 361 billion DKK to Denmark’s GDP, and it is growing strongly every year

    Internationals’ labour contributes 361 billion DKK to Denmark’s GDP, and it is growing strongly every year

    According to a report by the Danish Chamber of Commerce, internationals’ contribution is 12% of the country’s GDP. In 2023, it was 322 billion DKK, and in 2008, it was 136 billion DKK. “Internationals make a gigantic difference in our prosperity and welfare,” comments Morten Langager, the Director of Dansk Erhverv.

  • Inside Denmark’s innovation engine

    Inside Denmark’s innovation engine

    With half of its staff being international, the BioInnovation Institute reflects Denmark’s broader transformation into a global innovation hub. But can the country—and Europe—keep up the pace? “If reforms are made now, we can close the gap in ten years,” explains BII’s CEO

  • Denmark launches massive investment in the navy

    Denmark launches massive investment in the navy

    Two months ago, the Danish PM announced that military equipment should be purchased in a hurry. The first plans for the sea are now ready. Additional plans for warships will follow this summer.

  • International designers struggle to find jobs in Denmark

    International designers struggle to find jobs in Denmark

    Many internationals come to Denmark to work as designers, but the field appears to be one of the hardest to break into. The Copenhagen Post spoke with two internationals struggling to find their way into the industry.

  • Free to speak, free to expose: how corruption shapes media freedom

    Free to speak, free to expose: how corruption shapes media freedom

    In Denmark, journalism feels free — calm, almost unbothered, and independent. In Azerbaijan, it can cost journalists their freedom, as in the case of Avaz Zeynalli, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Xural, who is currently imprisoned on politically motivated charges

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.