Avian influenza risk level raised to moderate in France, Digi Mart USA News: The risk level for avian influenza across mainland France will rise from negligible to moderate starting Thursday, according to an order published Wednesday in the Official Journal.
The increase to the second of France’s three risk levels (negligible, moderate, high) is linked to the “identification of an infection dynamic in migratory wild birds in neighboring countries.” The order states that the measure aims to strengthen surveillance and prevention measures.
The risk level had been “negligible” since June 3, after being lowered once from “high” to “moderate” on April 26, at the end of the 2025-2026 winter epizootic. That reduction allowed the systematic requirement to confine poultry to be lifted.
In early September, a “highly pathogenic” avian influenza outbreak was detected on a duck farm in Maine-et-Loire, leading to the culling of nearly 7,600 animals.
Since autumn 2023, vaccination of ducks in farms with more than 250 birds has been mandatory in France. According to experts, this strategy has helped prevent major epizootics over the past two years.
