2023-12-05 16:12:30
As the end of the holidays approach, the level of risk linked to avian flu is raised “to its maximum” this Tuesday in mainland France, the Ministry of Agriculture announced this Tuesday. It goes from “moderate” to “high” according to texts published in the Official Journal. This measure was taken “considering the confirmation of several outbreaks in breeding ” in France, and “the dynamics of infection in migration corridors and the possibility of dissemination of the virus by these migratory birds”, according to the decree of the Ministry of Agriculture which comes into force immediately. Several measures aimed at strengthen the protection of poultry farms are taken, in particular the poultry confinement.
Whilea first outbreak of avian flu was detected in a turkey farm in Morbihan until November, another turkey farm was affected in the Somme, in the town of Sailly-Flibeaucourt, according to the prefecture of this department. In general, the first cases in farmed poultry are due to direct or indirect contact (excrement) with wild birds, then the virus spreads from farm to farm via the movement of animals, people and animals. materials.
Generalization of prevention measures
This transition to high risk leads to the generalization of the following prevention measures throughout the metropolitan territory:
- confinement or protection by nets of birds kept in establishments with fewer than 50 poultry or captive birds (farmyards, zoos)
- in establishments keeping 50 poultry or more, the poultry kept are sheltered and their feeding and watering are protected
- compulsory equipment for vehicles intended for the transport of waterflies over three days old by means of tarpaulins or equipment preventing any significant loss of feathers and down by a full or empty truck
- ban on gatherings of poultry and captive birds
- ban on racing pigeon competitions until April 10
- restrictions on the transport of calling birds and a ban on the release of game birds of the Anatidae family
Obligations in areas at risk of diffusion
In zones at risk of diffusion (ZRD), in other words in sectors which have a high density of poultry farms, the following measures are made compulsory:
- HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) virological screening during the movement of batches of palmipeds ready to fatten between two farms, thus complementing the surveillance already put in place as part of the Official HPAI Vaccination Plan
- access restriction, vehicle disinfection
All applicable measures are described in thedecree of September 25, 2023.
This “high” level of risk in France therefore requires breeders to lock up poultry that usually live outside. However, exemptions exist for small farms which can, under certain conditions, allow animals to go out on reduced “ranges”. But “this remains restrictive and very limited in square meters” explains Sylvie Colas, national secretary of the minority union Confédération paysanne, who denounces a form of “prohibition of the practice of free-range breeding”. For its part, Cifog, the foie gras inter-professional association, calls “all professionals must respect biosecurity rules” (change clothing when entering the site, shelter animals, disinfect vehicle wheels and underbody, etc.).
Three levels of risk
The epizootic risk to which poultry and other captive birds are exposed in the event of infection of wild birds with a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) is classified into three categories: “negligible”, “moderate” and “high”. This risk was lowered to “negligible” in July and raised to “moderate” at the end of November after the detection of an outbreak of avian flu on a turkey farm in Morbihan, the first case of autumn 2023 in France. Before that, France had remained at a “high” risk level between November 2022 and April 2023.
Avian flu, which is prevalent in Europe, Asia, Africa and Asia, has led to the euthanasia of tens of millions of poultry in recent years in France. In the hope of finally getting the virus under control, the government has made vaccination against avian flu compulsory in farms with more than 250 ducksexcluding breeding stock, since October 1st.
Ducks have been identified as a vector for the spread of the virus as they excrete it into the environment several days before showing symptoms.
“We estimate that almost all the ducks have received at least their first dose today”assures Marie-Pierre Pé, director of the association of foie gras professionals Cifog. We hope that this new dike [contre le virus] will be sufficient. This virus has made us so accustomed to negative surprises that caution is required.”
The number of avian flu outbreaks is increasing in Europe
Friday, December 1, the Belgian authorities announced an outbreak of avian flu on a farm in the northwest of Belgium, near the French border. According to the latest weekly bulletin (of November 28) from the French epidemiological surveillance platform in animal health (ESA), which monitors contamination of farm animals and wildlife in Europe, 77 outbreaks of avian flu in poultry have been reported. been detected since August 1, mainly in Hungary and the United Kingdom, compared to 48 the previous week. In total, 27 countries have detected avian influenza on their territoryaccording to this same source.
“The active downward migration routes of wild birds in Europe are highly contaminated” and these detections are located “directly upstream of the migration routes concerning France”, notes the ESA bulletin.
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