Like the French population at the start of the Covid-19 crisis, French poultry will have to confine themselves to avoid contamination with another virus. The risk relating to avian flu has risen to “high” in metropolitan France due to the increase in cases in neighboring countries, according to a decree published on Friday in the Official Journal.
This increase in the level of risk implies that all French poultry farmers lock up their animals to avoid contact with migrating birds, potentially carriers of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI), commonly known as avian influenza.
Avoiding the crisis of last winter
The government hopes to avoid the repetition of last winter: France had identified nearly 500 outbreaks of avian influenza in poultry farms, mainly in the South-West known for its production of foie gras. The crisis could only be stopped at the cost of slaughtering more than 3.5 million poultry, mainly ducks.
“The runaway dynamics of infection in the migration corridors justifies the increase in the level of risk”, to “high” on “the whole of the metropolitan territory”, indicates the decree which comes into force immediately. “Since the beginning of August, 130 cases or outbreaks of avian influenza have been detected in wildlife or in farms in Europe, particularly on the shores of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, including three outbreaks in German farms ”, identifies the Ministry of Agriculture in a press release.
Outbreaks of avian influenza in France, Italy and the Netherlands
“At the same time, the confinement of all professional farms was decided in the Netherlands following the detection of an outbreak in a farm of laying hens. In Italy, six outbreaks have been detected in broiler turkey farms in the Verona region since October 19, ”continues the ministry.
Cases have also been detected in France, but only in non-professional farms so far, which allows us to maintain the “free” status of influenza which conditions export outlets. The French cases concern “three contaminated backyards” in the Ardennes and the Aisne, recalls the ministry.
The risk level had already risen to “moderate” on September 10th. Farmers located in nearly 6,000 municipalities had to confine their poultry, in particular along the Atlantic coast and the Rhône corridor – wetlands popular with migrating birds.