Avian flu is spreading in the Pays de la Loire, announces the Ministry of Agriculture

Bird flu is back. The bird flu epizootic has spread over the past few days in Vendée and Loire-Atlantique, the Ministry of Agriculture said on Sunday March 6. Some 74 outbreaks in farms have been confirmed to date in the Pays de la Loire region, mainly in Vendée, “with a significant number of new suspicions under investigation”according to a press release.

The acceleration of the epizootic was observed “the last few days” with 58 outbreaks confirmed in Vendée on March 4, against 9 on February 24, and 11 outbreaks in breeding since February 28 in Loire-Atlantique. On Friday, March 4, France had 443 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in livestock, 35 cases in wildlife and 17 cases in backyards.

The Ministry announced a strengthening of measures with the suspension of shipments of chicks and hatching eggs produced in all hatcheries in the restricted area, the depopulation of poultry farms around strategic sites within a perimeter of five kilometers, and a widening of the surveillance zone with a ban on the movement and re-installation of poultry, except by way of derogation.

Avian influenza has a seasonal character. Carried by migratory birds from Asia, it usually begins to develop in October in Europe and continues until April. This is the fourth episode of avian flu that has affected France since 2015. The last, last winter, led to the slaughter of more than 3.5 million poultry, mainly ducks.