France sees bird flu outbreak as virus spreads again in Europe

PARIS, Sept. 10 (Reuters) – France raised its avian flu alert after a severe form of the virus was found among backyard poultry in the northeast, in addition to cases in Belgium and in neighboring Luxembourg, the Ministry of Agriculture announced on Friday.

The highly contagious H5N8 strain of avian influenza was found this week in ducks, hens, turkeys and pigeons belonging to a household in the Ardennes region, with all animals slaughtered as a precaution, the ministry said in a report. communicated.

“The health situation regarding highly pathogenic avian influenza is worrying. As of August 1, 25 cases have been detected in Europe in wild and captive birds,” he said.

Two cases of H5N8 were reported last week in Belgium – one at a bird merchant and one at a private individual – and another in a Luxembourg house linked to the merchant in Belgium, the French ministry added.

The latest cases involving the H5N8 strain of bird flu have prompted France to increase its risk assessment from “moderate” to “negligible”, which would lead to confining poultry indoors in some areas, he said. .

The outbreak in France would not compromise the bird flu free status the country had just obtained again after a previous wave of H5N8 bird flu, the ministry added.

Outbreaks of bird flu can prompt importing countries, especially in Asia, to impose trade restrictions on poultry products.

France slaughtered around 3 million birds last winter in its southwestern duck-breeding region as it grappled with the spread of the virus from wild birds to poultry flocks.

The massive epidemic led the government to agree new biosecurity measures with the poultry sector.

These included a requirement to confine herds during times of risk and a commitment to reduce herd density in the southwest, which is home to the country’s duck foie gras pate industry.

Reporting by Gus Trompiz and Sudip Kar-Gupta; edited by Andrew Heavens and Jason Neely

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