Avian influenza affected a farm in Haute-Garonne for the first time, bringing the number of affected departments in southwestern France to 8.
As a lull seemed to be setting in, bird flu is once again talking about it. Two new cases of avian influenza were detected this Tuesday, January 12 in the South West of France, announced the Ministry of Agriculture.
One in Béarn in a farm of 1,280 ducks in Orin where the highly pathogenic H5N2 strain has been identified. The other case was identified in a farm of 10,000 chickens and 7,000 ducks, in the town of Lafitte-Vigordane in Haute-Garonne. This is the first time that this department has been affected by bird flu.
“In total, to date, 69 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza for poultry have been detected in 8 departments of southwestern France,” indicates the ministry on its website. These are the Dordogne – where the virus first appeared at the end of November -, the Landes, Haute-Vienne, Gers, Pyrénées Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrénées and Lots and now Haute-Garonne.
Consumption is safe
For the moment, 3 viral strains have been identified by ANSES experts. These are H5N1, H5N2 and H5N9. Several strains are found in the same village and in the same department.
In a report issued on December 14, ANSES indicated that all these strains are of European origin. It is therefore not the Asian strain detected a few years ago, which is the only one responsible for cases in humans until today. “It confirmed the absence for this H5N1 strain of the main markers of dangerousness for humans”, specifies the ministry.
Thus, the consumption of eggs, poultry and other products from the poultry industry presents no risk to human health.
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