The social affairs ministry in the eastern state of Saxony says the farm near Goerlitz on the Polish border has been sealed off.

The ministry said Thursday that the farm has more than 1,000 birds, including turkeys and geese.

Germany has seen several cases of bird flu in the past - most recently in December.

The disease has ravaged poultry stocks in Asia, and scientists believe it spread to both Europe and Africa with migratory wild birds.

Though bird flu is difficult for people to catch, the H5N1 strain has killed at least 206 people worldwide.