H5N8 avian influenza: no known risk "to date" for humans in France

The French government assured Saturday that the avian influenza virus H5N8 present on poultry in France did not present, to date, "no risk of transmission to humans", but comparisons are underway with the virus having contaminated people in Russia.

"To date, 130 complete viral sequences have been obtained in this way. None of the analyzes carried out by ANSES (health security agency, Editor's note) has shown any properties giving rise to fear of a risk of transmission to humans of the virus. 'avian influenza present on poultry in France, "according to a statement from the French Ministries of Agriculture and Health.

"A marked slowdown" for several weeks

But the ministries add that the French services were seeking to compare the Russian virus to those present in France: "The ANSES teams are studying the information with the greatest attention, in particular the sequencing of the virus detected in infected people and their comparison with viruses circulating in poultry in France ".

And "the results of the comparison of the sequences of the Russian virus and the viruses circulating in our territory will be communicated as soon as possible".

The French Public Health Agency and the National Reference Center for respiratory viruses (including influenza), an observatory which centralizes information at the national level, "were also called upon to jointly conduct this risk analysis," the statement said.

The avian influenza epizootic, which has raged in France and in particular in the South-West, since December 2020 with 466 outbreaks detected to date, "has experienced a marked slowdown" for several weeks, thanks to the preventive slaughter of more than three million poultry, jointly say the ministries.

This strategy "will continue to be applied to any new suspicion in the southwest to curb any risk of spreading the virus as quickly as possible," they warn.