According to the Minister of Agriculture, the avian influenza epidemic is “under control” and the French have “no worries” to be made.
While this Tuesday morning, Stéphane Le Foll, Minister of Agriculture, assured that the bird flu epidemic “is under control”, his ministry announces the identification of 8 new cases in the Landes.
In one day, the results have changed twice. Monday evening, 53 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza for poultry were identified. This Tuesday afternoon, the report shows 61 cases.
At this stage of the epizootic, the Landes breeders are the hardest hit. In total, 27 outbreaks have been detected there since the end of November. The 8 new cases were detected in duck force-feeding workshops.
The first was identified in Cagnotte, “3 outbreaks were identified in the commune of Eyres Moncube, two of which are associated with a highly pathogenic H5N9 strain and 4 others were declared in the communes of Cazalis, Hauriet, Mugron and Montsoue. The strain of the Montsoue outbreak was identified on December 21 as being a highly pathogenic H5N9 influenza virus, ”the ministry said on its website.
The virus is not transmitted to humans
For the moment, 3 viral strains have been identified by ANSES experts: H5N1, H5N2 and H5N9. Several of these strains are found in the same village and in the same department. The Agency emphasizes that they 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.
Based on this report, the Minister of Agriculture ensures that the consumption of foie gras and poultry is safe and that there is no need to worry. Invited to RMC / BFM TV this morning, he affirmed that “the French have absolutely nothing to be worried about and can consume what they like and all that relates to poultry”. And to add: “It is a virus which is transmitted when poultry are free and which is not transmitted at all when eating meat”, he added.
A message that does not convince abroad. As a “precautionary measure”, 8 African and Asian countries have decided to stop their imports of French poultry.
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