Illustration of a chicken farm.
-
Tristan Reynaud / SIPA
Is the threat spreading?
France had 61 outbreaks of bird flu contamination on January 1, mostly in the Landes, or 40 more in a few days, according to the latest report from the Ministry of Agriculture on Sunday.
In a press release, the ministry specifies that 48 of the 61 confirmed outbreaks are located in the Landes department, a territory traditionally producing foie gras.
The latest report, communicated on December 29, reported 21 outbreaks of contamination throughout France.
Many homes where there is only suspicion
In a press release on Sunday, the Landes prefecture nevertheless announced, “on January 2,” that “24 avian influenza outbreaks (H5N8 confirmed by the national reference laboratory) and 54 suspicions (H5 avian influenza identified by the departmental laboratory, awaiting results from the national reference laboratory) ”.
The ministry also stresses that the perimeter within which the prefects can order a preventive slaughter around confirmed outbreaks has just been extended, according to a decree published on Sunday in the Official Journal.
It now concerns more than 110 municipalities in the Landes and 15 municipalities in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.
The ministry specifies that the disease prevention strategy "may be reviewed in the light of a new opinion from the (health agency) Anses expected this week".
The preventive slaughter of healthy animals is denounced by the agricultural unions Confédération paysanne and Modef, who consider them "as ineffective in terms of health as they are morally unacceptable".
Economy
Avian influenza: the Landes duck industry is getting organized against the epidemic
Society
Landes: Thousands of ducks slaughtered after a new case of avian flu
Aquitaine
South West
Foie gras
Hen
Avian Flu
Society