FRANCE, EUROPE
Bird flu has been found on a duck farm in the Vendee region of France. This is the first outbreak since France began vaccinating against the virus last year, reported Reuters. The highly contagious avian influenza was detected on a farm with 8,700 ducks in Notre Dame de Riez. Despite the ducks being vaccinated, the virus was still present.
Bird flu, often carried by migrating wild birds, can spread between farms, causing widespread damage to flocks globally. To combat this, France initiated a vaccination campaign in October, focusing on ducks as they can transmit the virus without showing symptoms. The vaccine doesn’t guarantee full immunity but aims to limit the virus’s spread and prevent mass culling. France faced trade barriers from countries fearing unnoticed virus transmission but proceeded with the poultry vaccination.
Due to new cases, France raised the bird flu risk level from ‘moderate’ to ‘high’ last month. Poultry farms were required to keep birds indoors to curb the virus’s highly contagious nature. Since November 27, seven bird flu outbreaks have been reported in France, affecting turkeys, laying hens, and ducks.
