France raises bird flu alert level to ‘high’ after new cases

Reuters — France has raised its chicken flu alert degree to “excessive” from “average”, requiring poultry farms nationwide to maintain birds indoors as Europe faces a seasonal resurgence of the illness.

Extremely pathogenic avian influenza, generally known as chicken flu, is a seasonal illness unfold by migratory birds. It has led to the culling of tens of thousands and thousands of poultry worldwide in recent times, disrupting manufacturing and elevating fears of human transmission.

“This decree … was issued following proof of an infection amongst migratory wild birds in Europe, together with France, and the affirmation of a number of outbreaks in poultry farms,” the agriculture ministry stated within the authorities’s official journal.

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To this point, two chicken flu outbreaks have been detected on poultry farms and three in yard flocks, the ministry stated within the decree. A primary case had been detected in mid-October at a pheasant and partridge breeding farm in northern France.

The change in standing will take impact on Wednesday, Oct, 22.

The improve to threat standing within the seasonal evaluation is kicking in sooner than earlier years, taking impact in October in comparison with November final 12 months and December in 2023.

— Reporting by Gus Trompiz and Sybille de La Hamaide