The carnage continues. Since this summer, the avian flu epidemic has been wreaking havoc on farms, particularly in western France. A new outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza was thus detected on November 13 in a duck farm in the town of Moréac in Morbihan. To prevent the spread of the virus, the authorities proceeded to slaughter the 36,500 poultry on the farm.
Two other farms located in the immediate vicinity of the outbreak were also subject to “preventive additional depopulation” with the slaughter of broiler chickens and guinea fowl. “The breeders will be compensated for the losses suffered”, underlines the prefecture of Morbihan.
Risk increased from moderate to high
Restricted protection and surveillance zones have also been set up within three and ten kilometer radiuses. “In these perimeters, all places of detention of poultry and captive birds are subject to specific requirements”, indicate the authorities.
Since November 8, the level of risk relating to avian flu has increased from moderate to high throughout the national territory. In total, more than 770,000 poultry have already been slaughtered in France since August 1 to stem bird flu.