France is facing a second bird flu epizootic. 52 outbreaks were reported in domestic fauna, 5 in wild birds.
The flu epidemic has crossed the symbolic threshold of one million cases in France. The entire territory is in an epidemic phase. But humans aren’t the only ones suffering. Bird farms have been on red alert since the end of November. It must be said that the H5N8 strain of the avian flu virus circulates particularly well. This December 26, the Ministry of Agriculture has identified 57 outbreaks, including 5 in wild birds.
The ravaged southwest
By itself, the department of Gers brings together half of the farms where avian flu has been reported. In fact, the Southwest is famous for its products made from duck and goose. That the epizootic is concentrated there is therefore no accident. It is also this same zone which had to face, at the end of last year, an outbreak which ended in a crawl space of several weeks. The strain, however, is not the same.
Source : The Minister of Agriculture
Sporadic cases have also been reported in wildlife, migratory and marine birds. They are much more scattered on French soil since the Manche, Haute-Savoie or even the Tarn have been affected. Migration is undoubtedly involved.
406 households in Europe
Faced with this movement which seems inevitable, the Ministry of Agriculture regularly recalls the protective measures. Two perimeters are set up around the hearths: one aims to protect neighboring farmyards and extends over 3 km; the other establishes a 10 km surveillance around the original outbreak. Bird owners should also prevent their animals from coming into contact with wildlife, the main vector of H5N8 influenza. This involves confinement or the laying of nets. Gatherings are also prohibited.
The situation is problematic to say the least in Europe: 406 outbreaks have been notified on the continent against 268 to December 5. Wild birds are by far the most affected by the epizootic. The circulating strain is highly pathogenic and kills many animals. So far, no transmission to humans has been reported.
Octopus vs. H5N8
It is named after an octopus, but it is the birds that the Octopus robot will defend. The French company Octopus Robots has developed a machine capable of diffusing a sanitizing mist. “It diffuses dry particles capable of infiltrating everywhere”, explains Olivier Somville, CEO of Octopus Robots in the columns of the Parisian. Its target, the breeding of domestic birds. No risk of antibiotic resistance: this fog high-tech does not contain antibiotics. This is a second reason to be happy, since the device could also fight against certain viruses. At a time when avian flu is raging in farms in the Southwest, a solution of this type will probably be welcomed. There remains a major step to be taken for the start-up, that of mass production. A crowdfunding campaign has been launched on the platform smartangels.fr.
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