France raises bird flu alert level after outbreak in northeast

France has raised its bird flu alert level after a severe form of the virus was found among poultry on a farm in the north east, close to the border with Belgium and Luxembourg where other outbreaks have emerged.

The Agriculture Ministry says the latest outbreak will not jeopardize the "bird-flu-free" status the country has only just got back. REUTERS - Eduard Korniyenko

The highly contagious H5N8 strain of bird flu was found this week among ducks, hens, turkeys and pigeons belonging to a household in the Ardennes region of northeast France.

All the animals have been slaughtered as a precaution, the agriculture ministry said in a statement.

"The health situation regarding highly pathogenic avian influenza is worrying. Since 1 August, 25 cases have been detected in Europe among wild and captive birds," it said.

Two cases of H5N8 were reported last week in Belgium – one at a bird merchant and one at a private home – and another at a home in Luxembourg that has been linked to the merchant in Belgium, the French ministry added.

Increased risk

The latest cases involving the H5N8 strain of bird flu had prompted France to increase its risk assessment from "negligible" to "moderate", which would lead to poultry being confined indoors in some areas, it said.

However the outbreak in France would not compromise the bird flu-free status the country had just obtained again after a previous wave of H5N8 bird flu, the ministry added.

Bird flu outbreaks can lead importing countries, notably in Asia, to ban or place restrictions on poultry products.

France culled around three million birds last winter in its southwestern duck-breeding region in a bid to stop the virus spreading from wild birds to poultry flocks.

The massive outbreak led the government to agree new biosecurity measures with the poultry sector.

These included a requirement to confine flocks during risk periods and a commitment to reduce the density of flocks in the southwest, home to the country's duck-based foie gras industry.

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(with Reuters)