March 22, 2021

France to allow poultry farms affected by bird flu to resume production

France's Ministry of Agriculture and Food will allow poultry farms southwest of the country that have been affected by highly pathogenic bird flu to resume production following a sharp drop in new cases, Reuters reported.

The ministry said farms based in southwestern zones that were subject to mass culling, can resume breeding for certain poultry types, including chickens. Flocks must remain confined indoors.

The ministry also said rearing ducks and geese remain prohibited until the highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu epidemic is completely over, as these species are more susceptible to the virus.

There have only been five bird flu cases reported in France in the first week of March, compared to nearly 130 in the first week of January.

The Landes region, the area with the most number of bird flu outbreaks, has reported zero cases in the past month.

The ministry said the risk of the bird flu is still high in France and Europe, citing two cases in northeast France and 39 cases detected among wild birds in Europe last weekend.

France has culled about 3 million birds, mostly ducks, to prevent the spread of bird flu in the country.

- Reuters