France has 25 outbreaks of H5N8 avian influenza on its territory. Only the departments of the Southwest are affected.
Bird flu is spreading like wildfire in French farms. 25 outbreaks have emerged in the territory, says the Ministry of Agriculture in its latest report. The departments of the South-West are by far the most affected: almost all cases are concentrated there. A blow for the breeders, who are facing their second epizootic in the space of a year.
Since the alert from the health authorities in mid-November, the H5N8 avian flu has foiled the security measures deployed in France. First spotted in Pas-de-Calais among wildlife, the virus jumped towards the southwest. The meter set up by the Ministry of Agriculture has continued to panic ever since. In the space of three days, the number of outbreaks doubled. And it is the farms that are affected: of the 25 cases reported to the authorities, only 2 occurred in wild birds.
The outbreaks reported in the French departments. In yellow, only one listed outbreak. In orange, 2 to 4 hotplates. In red, more than 5 outbreaks. The departments in blue are those where a wild outbreak has been identified.
Two perimeters set up
Protective measures are systematically deployed when a case is discovered. The whole farm is slaughtered. A protection perimeter extends 3 kilometers around the operation in question. A second perimeter, of surveillance this time, encircles the 10 kilometers which surround the structure. Bird owners also have an obligation to protect their animals by confinement or using a net.
Questioned at the National Assembly, Stéphane Le Foll, Minister of Agriculture, is stressed that “the biosecurity measures will be applied with all the necessary security”. Caution is in order: in the rest of Europe, 406 outbreaks have been identified, including 155 in farms. Hungary is by far the most affected, with 120 outbreaks. The circulating strain, H5N8, is highly pathogenic to birds. It causes many deaths. Man, on the other hand, is only very rarely infected.
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