An activist from the agricultural union ELB (Euskal Laborarien Batasuna-Union of Basque Farmers) holds a placard reading "Farmer common sense versus health nonsense" as ducks are going to be slaughtered due to the avian flu outbreak that began in late November at a farm in Lohitzun-Oyhercq, southwestern France on Jan 27, 2022. (GAIZKA IROZ / AFP)
PARIS – The highly pathogenic bird flu, or avian influenza, has been detected at a turkey farm in northern France, causing the cull of at least 8,000 turkeys, French daily news Le Figaro reported on Monday.
Since November last year, France has reported more than 1,300 clusters of high pathogenic virus and ordered the cull of 20 million birds.
"Regulated protection and surveillance zones have been set up within a radius of 3-10 km," local authorities of the city of Feuilleres, in the northern department of Somme of France, said in a press release. The first cluster of the high pathogenic bird flu was found on Saturday at the turkey farm.
According to the release, all places of poultry and captive birds are subject to specific prescriptions, in particular the prohibition of movements of poultry and captive birds, and the state services are mobilized alongside the breeder who will be compensated for the losses suffered.
Since November last year, France has reported more than 1,300 clusters of high pathogenic virus and ordered the cull of 20 million birds. During the period from autumn 2020 to spring 2021, 500 clusters of high pathogenic bird flu were detected and 3.5 million birds were culled in the country.
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