France has officially declared itself free of bird flu after going over a month without any new outbreaks, the agriculture ministry announced. Despite this positive development, the country remains on high alert as the virus continues to spread rapidly across Europe.
Since early August, France recorded 12 outbreaks on poultry farms and three cases in backyard flocks. However, surveillance was lifted last week at the sites of the latest cases. This bird flu-free status, recognized under international guidelines, could boost France’s poultry trade by encouraging importing countries to lift restrictions imposed after the outbreaks. “This is good news for our poultry sector, thanks to the vaccination strategy we began in October 2023 and will continue in 2025,” Acting Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard said on social media.
France introduced a bird flu vaccination program for farm ducks last year, as they are particularly vulnerable to the virus. Ducks are widely raised in France for foie gras production. Meanwhile, in the U.S., bird flu has spread to cattle and humans. On Wednesday, U.S. health officials reported the first severe human case of bird flu linked to contact with an infected backyard flock.
