Avian influenza risk prompts poultry housing orders in 11 northern French communes, Digi Mart USA News (Nord department, France): Migration of wild birds from the Netherlands and Germany, which may pass through France, has raised concern among farmers and the Ministry of Agriculture. A moderate risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza has therefore been declared in several French communes, notably in the Nord department.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza cases have recently been detected in wild birds in the Netherlands and Germany. Because these birds use migration corridors shared with France, they risk contaminating French poultry farms.
The higher risk level has led the Ministry of Agriculture to deploy reinforced prevention and biosecurity measures intended to “prevent any spread of the virus across the national territory.”
In the Nord department, eleven communes are covered by the measures. In these zones, establishments holding 50 or more poultry must shelter their animals and protect their drinking troughs and feed.
For establishments holding fewer than 50 poultry and captive birds, the birds must be confined or protected by nets. Zoological parks may obtain an exemption with prefectoral authorization after a risk analysis.
For reference, avian influenza is not dangerous to humans.
