Avian influenza: five farms affected in the north of France

Océane Théard with AFP 9:57 p.m., December 09, 2021

Five French farms in northern France were infected with bird flu in the space of two weeks, raising the specter of the crisis that ravaged last year.

France had five outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (commonly known as avian influenza) on 8 December in breeding, nine cases in wildlife, three cases in captive wildlife (geese or swans not migrating) and three cases in backyard , lists the Ministry of Agriculture on its website.

New health protection measures are taken

The northern prefecture on Thursday took new health protection measures: in a "surveillance zone" of 10 km around the outbreaks, veterinary visits and samples will be taken and the hunting of waterfowl and game birds is prohibited, say the authorities in a press release.

This area covers more than thirty municipalities, in the northernmost region of the Nord department.

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France has around 20,000 poultry farms raised for meat, eggs or foie gras.

The virus was first identified in breeding on November 26 on a farm in the town of Warhem (North) where 160,000 laying hens were reared all year round in buildings.

Four other cases have since been confirmed in the same department.

In each case in breeding, the animals are slaughtered.

"It is absolutely necessary to find the cause of the contamination and to try to control the situation very quickly", reacted after AFP Laurent Verhaeghe, president of the agricultural union FDSEA of North.

An "incredible" shortfall

He recalls that "as long as the situation is not cleaned up", the breeders will not be able to put other animals into production - "these are incredible shortfalls because the fixed charges continue on the farms".

Previously, remarks the union official, "it was rather the south [of France] that was concerned, but today it is happening to us".

Around the same time last year, the virus began to spread in duck farms in the Southwest.

This crisis - the third since 2015 - ended up being stemmed at the cost of the often preventive slaughter of more than 3.5 million poultry, mainly palmipeds.

Should poultry be confined?

Recurrent health crises due to avian influenza generate considerable costs for professionals and the State, as well as losses of the export market.

To reduce the risk of contamination, the health authorities asked at the beginning of November all outdoor and organic producers to confine their poultry in order to avoid contact with migratory birds potentially carrying the virus.

But the first cases were detected in conventional farms, in buildings, reviving the anger of the agricultural unions Confédération paysanne and Modef who denounce the obligation of confinement.

"We have repeatedly said that locking up animals in free-range farms would not prevent the epidemic, which it does. The risk of the virus spreading in barn farms has been proven and known for a long time. Making outdoor breeding responsible and guilty only serves the interests of those who wish to industrialize agriculture, "they said in a statement on Thursday.

With six other organizations, including the National Federation of Organic Agriculture, the unions have appealed to the Council of State and support farmers who are resistant to confinement.

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From the first case in breeding, France had lost its status "free" from avian influenza that it had just regained on September 2.

Markets then close automatically (South Africa, China, Korea, Cuba, Madagascar, the Philippines, etc.), for example hampering the marketing of day-old chicks and ducklings - sold to be reared there - or parts of them. animals not consumed in France, such as duck legs and tongues or rooster crests.