A second outbreak of H5N8 flu has been detected by the Belgian health authorities in an individual.
Concern is growing in the North, on the side of the Franco-Belgian border. An outbreak had already been identified on the Belgian side, leading to the surveillance of six municipalities in the Lille metropolitan area on Monday: Bousbecque, Halluin, Neuville-en-Ferrain, Roncq, Tourcoing and Wattrelos.
This Tuesday, a new Belgian outbreak was identified, in an individual with poultry, in the border town of Hertain, near Tournai.
“Given the border location, the Nord department is setting up a regulated area which includes the municipalities of Baisieux, Camphin-en-Pévèle and Willems”, announced the prefecture. Poultry from the two Belgian outbreaks have been culled, she added.
Clinical signs
Bird owners should report any increased mortality and watch for clinical signs that may suggest avian influenza. The movement or transport of poultry is prohibited until further notice, as well as gatherings of birds on the markets.
The prefecture has also imposed restrictions on the movement of eggs and requires that vehicles linked to farms be disinfected. The origin of the contamination is known: France and Belgium are located on the corridors of migratory birds. However, according to the Parisian, professionals are surprised by the appearance of avian flu in the middle of a heat wave, the virus being reputed not to be resistant to heat.
Farmers demonstrate
Put in difficulty by the preventive measures, 300 fattened duck and poultry breeders demonstrated this Friday in front of the Landes Chamber of Commerce and Industry to demand the payment of compensation promised by the government. The new Minister of Agriculture announced that a “second aid scheme” would be granted to them.
This winter, the virus caused a crawl space in 2,000 farms producing foie gras, and the preventive slaughter of 4.5 million ducks.
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