after the detection of sources of contamination, should we be concerned about the risk raised to its maximum level in France?

Avian flu is taking up winter quarters in Europe. In France, the government raised the risk level to “high” on Tuesday. Free-range breeders are obliged to confine their poultry.

“It’s been a bit of a routine for a few years”, says Clément Blanchard, an outdoor poultry breeder in Vendée. The poultry farmer became aware, on Tuesday December 5, of the passage of avian flu into “high” risk, the maximum level, after the detection of “several homes” in mainland France, according to a text published Monday in the Official Journal. As provided for in the decree, he confined his birds. “We had prepared for it and we expected it with the arrival of winter”he confides.

From “negligible” at the beginning of July, the level of risk of avian flu epizootic had already increased to “moderate” at the end of November, after the detection of an outbreak on a turkey farm in Morbihan, the first case of the fall in France. This move to the third and final threshold of the alert scale was taken into account “considering the confirmation of several outbreaks in breeding”, “the dynamics of infection in the corridors of migration”, as well as “the possibility of spreading the virus by these migratory birds”, specifies the Official Journal.

Outbreaks are multiplying in Europe

This increase in risk was decided in particular because of the presence of the virus in “wild birds that descend from north to south for their winter migration, passing over the territory” French, presents on France Inter Gilles Salvat, deputy director general of the National Agency for Health and Food Safety (ANSES). “It is a logical decision in view of the deterioration of the health situation in Europe in recent weeks, and even more so in recent days”, observes Jean-Luc Guérin, professor of avian pathology at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse and laboratory director at the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment (Inrae). “LThis signal consists of saying: we are increasing vigilance as well as surveillance and health protection systems.”

“The situation is serious and we are entering a critical phase.”

Jean-Luc Guérin, professor of avian pathology and laboratory director at INRAE

at franceinfo

The epizootic is progressing on the European continent. Since August 1, 107 outbreaks of avian flu in poultry have been detected in 27 countries in Europe, mainly in Hungary (54) and the United Kingdom (16), according to the latest weekly bulletin from the French animal health epidemiological surveillance platform. In France, avian influenza was detected in Morbihan and in the Somme, where birds were shot. If the situation remains under control for the moment, France was affected by avian flu from 2015 to 2017, then almost continuously since the end of 2020. In 2022, the country experienced its worst health crisis, which led to the slaughter of millions of poultry.

In a press release, the Ministry of Agriculture justifies the transition to high risk of epizootic in order to “strengthen the protection of livestock farms”. While the first cases of contamination are generally due to direct or indirect contact (via excrement for example) with wild birds carrying the virus, the authorities want to prevent contamination from spreading between farms, which would make the situation difficult to control.

The confinement of poultry which usually live outside responds to this fear. The Deputy Director General of ANSES certainly calls for “shelter the birds”but he warns that “It’s not enough”. “It is absolutely necessary to strengthen biosecurity measures, that is to say everything that the breeder does to avoid bringing the virus into their livestock”insists Gilles Salvat.

Vaccination of ducks, an asset in the face of disease

However, the risk of a large-scale epizootic does not seem to be on the agenda. Gilles Salvat observes that, unlike in previous years, French ducks appear to be spared from the virus for the moment. “We hope that it is linked to the fact that we vaccinate the ducks”says the head of Anses.

These birds were in fact identified as important vectors for the spread of avian influenza, in particular because they excrete the virus into the environment several days before showing symptoms. Their vaccination has been made compulsory in France in farms with more than 250 birds. Since then, ANSES has recorded “8 million first doses administered and 6 million booster doses”. “We estimate that almost all the ducks have received at least their first dose today”Marie-Pierre Pé, director of the association of foie gras professionals Cifog, told AFP.

“The introduction of vaccination among waterflies, which are very sensitive and had participated in the contamination of other farms, should make it possible to avoid large waves of epizootics“, hopes Jean-Luc Guérin. “It is a valuable tool to limit the risk of dissemination” of the virus, particularly to other non-vaccinated livestock, such as turkeys or chickens, underlines the professor of avian pathology at the National Veterinary School of Toulouse, estimating that theThe use of preventive felling could thus be restricted.

But if the ducks seem relatively protected this year, no vaccination is currently authorized for turkeys in France. Certainly, “vaccines exist” and were tested in Italy, but they “do not currently have marketing authorization” In France. Above all, “they are much less effective”, judge Gilles Salvat. In the Somme as in Morbihan, turkey farms were contaminated.

“No worries” for the end-of-year holidays

Can the winter progression of the virus have a massive impact on the industry and poultry, a few weeks before the end-of-year holidays, when tables are filled with capons and foie gras? Jean-Luc Guérin believes no. “It would take very strong degradation to have to resort to massive fellings”he judges. “No worries” regarding Christmas, agrees Marie-Pierre Pé. “Foie gras are often already on the shelves. Raw livers, to be prepared, will arrive and for the moment there is no reason to think that there will be an impact” on their availability, assures the director of Cifog.

However, the sector and consumers will still suffer the consequences of the avian flu episode of 2022, where ducks were decimated by the virus or preventive culling. Cifog warned that after a price increase of more than 15% in 2022, foie gras would cost again this year “around 5%” more expensive on the shelves.