Bird flu spreads – France raises alert level

On Tuesday, France raised its bird flu alert level from “moderate” to “high” and ordered poultry farmers nationwide to keep their animals indoors. The reason for this is new cases of the virus in migratory birds and on farms, as well as fears of a seasonal spread in Europe.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the government is responding to confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza in both wild birds and commercial flocks.

So far, two outbreaks have been detected on farms and three in smaller private holdings. The first case occurred in mid-October on a pheasant and partridge farm in northern France.

The risk level increase will take effect on Wednesday, earlier than usual—last year it was in November, and two years ago in December.

Bird flu, which is spread mainly by migratory birds, causes significant losses in the poultry industry every year and raises concerns about possible transmission to humans.

(reuters, max)