Two new duck farms have been affected by bird flu, bringing the total to five so far this month.

Ducks are being slaughtered to prevent further spread of the virus.

This extremely contagious disease in birds is not transmissible to humans.

Two new duck farms have been infected with bird flu in western France, bringing the total of infected farms to five since the beginning of the month, the Agriculture Ministry said on Monday.

>> READ ALSO -

Avian flu: "There is no risk of transmission" to humans, insists Denormandie

All slaughtered ducks

These outbreaks concern "a breeding of lean ducks in Vendée in Saint-Maurice-des-Noues and a breeding of breeding Muscovy ducks in Deux-Sèvres in Saint-Sauveur", near Bressuire, it is reported in a press release.

"All the birds from these farms were slaughtered without delay or, for the most recent, are being slaughtered," he added.

Last week, three cases of avian influenza (commonly known as avian influenza) had been detected in duck farms intended for the production of foie gras in the Landes.

"The traceability of upstream and downstream movements of infected farms makes it possible to identify both risk factors and other potentially exposed farms, in which samples are taken to search for the" H5N8 virus which is the source of the disease, specifies the ministry.

>> READ ALSO -

Avian flu: after Corsica, a second outbreak detected in Yvelines

First cases in November

After the outbreak of outbreaks in Russia and Kazakhstan this summer, the epizootic reached western Europe this fall, following the migrations of wildlife.

The first French cases had been detected in November in animal shops, in Corsica and in Yvelines, all delivered in geese by an individual from the North, according to information from the ministry delivered in early December.

More and more cases of this disease, which is highly contagious and fatal for birds, are also being counted in the wild.

Quite recently, "two new cases of avian influenza were confirmed in wild birds found dead: a barnacle goose in Calvados and another in Morbihan," the ministry said on Monday.

>> READ ALSO -

Avian flu: 46 departments placed at "high" risk

The latter emphasizes that "avian influenza is not transmissible to humans through the consumption of poultry meat, eggs, fatty liver and more generally any food product".

"Farmed poultry are mainly contaminated by infected wild birds or, during an animal epizootic, by other infected poultry farms," ​​recalls the ANSES health agency on its website.