For the first time, authorities have slaughtered turtledoves suspected of being infected with bird flu.
This is a first in France: the prefecture of Lot-et-Garonne has ordered an “administrative beat with the turtledove”, which took place this Thursday afternoon in the town of Fals, in order to prevent the spread of the virus H5N8 from avian influenza.
These are Turkish turtledoves, a sedentary species, which “showed clinical signs of infection with avian influenza H5N8, confirmed by analyzes”, specified the prefect of Lot-et-Garonne, Patricia Willaert, questioned on France 3 New Aquitaine.
17 turtledoves slaughtered
The birds are grouped together “several hundred in the same place [sur la commune de Fals], there is therefore a health interest in organizing a fight to prevent the virus from spreading around, ”said the prefect.
About thirty hunters therefore proceeded to shoot these birds, which proliferate very quickly, because they are not hunted. This Thursday, 17 turtledoves were killed.
On site, ONCFS (National Office for Hunting and Wildlife) agents recovered the killed birds. They were “equipped with white outfits as well as masks, glasses, gloves and disinfected boots to avoid any risk of spread in the event of illness”, indicates France 3.
Results in 3 days
Analyzes will be carried out at the Pyrenees Laboratory in Agen. The results should be known within three days. The authorities will then decide whether a new hunt should be organized.
The first suspected cases on turtledoves were detected at the end of January by agents of the National Office for Hunting and Wildlife (ONCFS). Since then, they have observed the death of about twenty of these turtledoves every week.
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