Ducks, lots of ducks.

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GEORGES GOBET / AFP

With only 25 new outbreaks of avian influenza detected in France in the first week of February, against 130 a month earlier, "the way out of the epidemiological crisis is emerging" even if "vigilance remains in order", estimated Friday the The Minister of Agriculture.

In total, 461 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have been confirmed since the outbreak of the crisis in November, a very large majority (448) of which concern farms in the South-West, mainly ducks, details the press release.

“The depopulation strategy is bearing fruit.

The dynamics of the virus's spread has slowed down sharply and the way out of the epidemiological crisis is emerging, ”notes the ministry, which specifies that more than three million farm animals, mainly ducks (2.45 million), were shot.

“While vigilance remains in place throughout the metropolitan territory, the absence of new cases around the first outbreaks detected in November / December has made it possible to lift the health restrictions (zoning) taken in several departments (Haute-Corse, Corsica -du-Sud, Deux-Sèvres, Yvelines) ”, he adds.

The compensation system being put in place

"In addition to health compensation which is already the subject of payment of installments to breeders whose herds have been eliminated, a system of compensation for economic losses is being put in place", announces the ministry.

The latter will concern four main categories of beneficiaries: poultry farmers (including laying hens) located in regulated areas, breeding-hatching companies, downstream companies (slaughtering, second processing, packaging centers) and service companies. specialized (transport, cleaning, animal feed, processing of co-products), and lastly game feather breeders.

Like several European countries, France has been facing an episode of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) since mid-November.

The virus in question (H5N8) exclusively affects birds.

It is not transmissible to humans.

The disease circulates actively in wildlife and manifests itself on the occasion of migrations towards the South.

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