French breeders have been required to observe certain measures since November 5, in order to avoid contact between farms and migrating birds.
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“About 600,000 to 650,000” poultry have been slaughtered in France since the first case of avian flu detected in a farm at the end of November, according to provisional figures from the Ministry of Agriculture. The ministry identifies 26 outbreaks of the virus in farms, mainly in the South-West, 15 cases in wildlife and 3 cases in backyards.
Since November 5, French breeders have been required to “shelter” their outdoor poultry to avoid any contact with migratory birds that can transmit the avian influenza virus. On December 24, the Council of State rejected the appeals of the Confédération paysanne and associations against the confinement imposed on free-range ducks, geese and hens, in the face of “a serious and urgent health risk”, as the bird flu epidemic spreads.