According to the decree published on Friday, November 8 in Official Gazettethe level of risk related to bird flu in the French metropolitan territory will increase on Saturday ” moderate ” has ” student “the highest level, leading to confinement of poultry. The decision has been made “taking into account the strong and persistent dynamics of infection in migratory corridors and the spread of the virus by these migratory birds that cross continental French territory”. That “aims to strengthen surveillance and prevention measures”details the text, which comes into force “the day after its publication”that is, Saturday.
In a joint press release, the minority agricultural unions Confédération paysanne and Modef denounce “the obligation to confine all poultry”according to them “incomprehensible”. “The same rules have been applied every winter for several years, without their effectiveness having been proven. How can we continue locked in this denial of reality?, ask organizations.
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 ” student “. In case of risk ” student “poultry are remarkably “protected, and their food and water protected” on farms with more than 50 birds. Poultry and birds are “confined or protected by networks” in the little ones.
In Europe, the avian flu virus has been detected in 24 countries and the number of outbreaks is increasing, especially in Hungary, according to the latest weekly bulletin from the French epidemiological surveillance platform for animal health. The bulletin identifies “A strong infection dynamic has been present since the end of September and is increasing in wild birds”. In France, in total, “six outbreaks in poultry, two outbreaks in captive birds and ten wild cases” have been identified since the beginning of the season.
The bird flu epidemic, sweeping from America to Australia, affected France from 2015 to 2017 and then almost continuously since the end of 2020. The country has culled tens of millions of poultry in recent years. The economic losses amount to billions of euros. To break this spiral, the government has made vaccination mandatory from the fall of 2023 on farms with more than 250 ducks (excluding breeders) at the end of 2023. Professionals hope that the State will maintain its participation – mostly – in the financing. vaccination.
