France lost its “free status” after the discovery of outbreaks in Eure and Calvados

Two new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) were detected at the end of December in Eure and Calvados, the Ministry of Agriculture announced on Monday, December 30. The detection of two outbreaks, “December 27 in Eure, and December 28 in Calvados, serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting all biosecurity measures”the ministry said in a press release.

“Direct consequence of these detections: France loses its HPAI-free status which it had just regained since December 15”underlines the text. This status “unharmed”which offers more favorable prospects for exports, is recovered if no outbreak is detected for at least twenty-eight days throughout the territory.

According to France Bleu Normandie, this second outbreak of avian flu was detected in a farm near Honfleur, whose owner had sourced poultry from the infected farm in Eure, at La Poterie-Mathieu. According to this same article, the slaughter of all poultry (around 500 chickens, guinea fowl and capons raised in buildings) must take place on Tuesday, December 31.

The Calvados prefecture confirmed Monday evening that a prefectural order declaring infection had come “to be taken following positive results in relation to the presence of the HPAI virus” and that the animals had to be slaughtered “as soon as possible”.

“High” risk

France also remains at the risk level ” pupil “particularly with regard to the possibilities of infections linked to the migrations of wild birds, specifies the ministry. There are three levels of risk in France (high, moderate and negligible), a parameter independent of the country's status with regard to the epidemic.

As soon as outbreaks are detected, “the prefectures concerned have issued a zoning decree which demarcates a protection zone of 3 km around each home and a surveillance zone of between 3 and 10 km”. These measures are in addition to “depopulation [euthanasie des animaux] of the two sites and their cleaning and disinfection by a specialized company”specifies the press release.

Furthermore, France is continuing the deployment of its second compulsory vaccination campaign for ducks, launched on 1^is October 2024. The ministry recalls that “the consumption of meat, foie gras and eggs – and more generally of any food product based on poultry meat – presents no risk to human health”.