Céline Géraud 12:11 p.m., December 22, 2022
Poultry producers are increasingly worried about the avian flu epidemic which is decimating their farms.
The vice-president of the Chamber of Agriculture of Vendée meets this Thursday the Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau.
The department is one of the most affected by this epidemic which caused the slaughter of 16 million poultry throughout the territory.
What is this avian flu epidemic, Europe 1 takes stock.
The avian flu epidemic continues and worsens in France.
In Europe, with 50 million poultry slaughtered in one year, this epidemic is the most devastating ever observed on the continent.
In France alone, 16 million poultry were slaughtered.
The Minister of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, is due to travel to Vendée on Thursday "to present to industry players and local elected officials the action plan aimed at developing a vaccine strategy in the context of the avian flu epizootic. ".
What is bird flu?
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A viral disease identified in 1997
Avian flu is a viral disease affecting birds, it is particularly contagious in industrial chicken, turkey and duck farms.
Identified in 1997 in Hong Kong, the H5N1 avian influenza virus caused for the first time in 2003 the quarantine and mass slaughter of infected poultry.
According to a report by the European Food Safety Authority, it is wild birds that have contributed to the spread of the virus in France, flying over the Atlantic coast to reach Africa.
Brittany and the Pays de la Loire, which are on the route of these migratory birds, are the two regions most affected by the virus and they are also the main producers of poultry.
Health authorities remain vigilant on the evolution of this virus.