Two new outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) were detected at the end of December in Eure and Calvados, leading to the loss of “free status” from avian flu, barely regained by France, the Ministry of Health announced on Monday. Agriculture.
The detection of two outbreaks, “on December 27 in Eure, and December 28 in Calvados, serves as a reminder of the importance of respecting all biosecurity measures”, indicates the ministry 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.
A second home near Honfleur
This “free” status, which offers more favorable prospects for exports, is regained if no outbreak is detected for at least 28 days throughout the territory.
According to local radio France Bleu, 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 just “been issued following the 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 “high” risk level, 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 the outbreaks were detected, “the prefectures concerned issued a zoning decree which demarcates a protection zone 3 km around each outbreak and a surveillance zone between 3 and 10 km”. These measures are in addition to “depopulation (animal euthanasia) 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 October 1, 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”.
