As highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak is confirmed on the nation’s fourth poultry farm in less than 2 weeks, the authorities in France have raised the disease threat level, and tightened control measures. Meanwhile, Hungary has recorded 25 further outbreaks in commercial flocks across five counties in the southeast of the country over the past 10 days.
At the end of November, France’s first HPAI outbreak of the autumn/fall season prompted the government to raise the disease alert level to “moderate.”
Latest update puts the number of confirmed outbreaks at four, reported La France Agricole on December 6. The first outbreak and two subsequent ones were in Morbihan, a department in the northwestern region of Brittany, and all involved turkey flocks.
According to Reuters, the country’s fourth outbreak in the current wave was in the department of Somme. It is located in the northern region of Hauts-de-France.
France raises HPAI alert level
Following these developments, the agriculture ministry raised the alert level further last week — this time, to “high.”
As a result, a more intense level of biosecurity now applies across France.
Among the latest measures is a requirement to shelter and protect feeding and watering facilities on all holdings with more than 50 poultry. For smaller flocks and captive birds, protection can be achieved through netting, but the aim is to minimize the risk of contact between wild and domestic birds. Covers must now be fitted to vehicles used to transport ducks over three days of age, in order to prevent the spread of infection through down and feathers. Now all gatherings of poultry and captive birds are prohibited nationwide, and there are bans on pigeon racing and the release of game birds of the duck family.
Additional controls are now in place for areas of France designated as having a high risk of viral spread. In these zones with a high poultry density, ducks and geese for fattening must now be tested for HPAI before they are moved between premises. This is in addition to the requirement for surveillance testing, which is part of the national vaccination plan, which began in October. Furthermore, there are now strict requirements in these areas for the disinfection of vehicles, and for restricting access to poultry farms.
From January, a new phase is to start for the government scheme to financially compensate French poultry breeders whose businesses have been adversely impacted by HPAI.
Also last week, the agriculture ministry of France announced that, under the country’s HPAI vaccination program, farmed ducks are now to receive three doses of vaccine, reported NASDAQ.
European poultry outbreak total passes 470
So far this year, 473 outbreaks of HPAI have been confirmed on poultry farms in 23 European states. This is according to the Animal Disease Information System from the European Commission (EC) in its update dated December 2. It monitors the disease situation in European Union (EU) member states and neighboring countries. The total includes two outbreaks in Turkey (Tűrkiye) and one in the French overseas territory of Reunion, although these territories are not on the continent of Europe.
For comparison, 24 European nations registered a total of 2,321 outbreaks in commercial poultry flocks through this system during 2022.
Since the previous update (November 26), seven countries have registered a total of 30 further outbreaks in this category with the EC. Reporting the most new infections were Hungary (20), Germany (4), and Bulgaria (2). In addition, Belgium, France, Italy, and The Netherlands each confirmed one new outbreak through this System since the earlier edition.
For 2023 to date, the nation with the highest total continues to be France, now with a total of 153. With 133 outbreaks, Hungary currently has the next highest total, followed by Poland (62).
HPAI spreads to more Hungarian farms
Further details are provided in notifications by the national veterinary agencies to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). In all these cases, presence of the H5N1 virus serotype has been detected.
Over the past 10 days, the Hungarian authority has confirmed to this body 25 new outbreaks on poultry farms in five of its southeastern counties.
In Germany, the disease has hit five more poultry farms in three states, including the first of the season in the east of the country in Brandenburg.
Following a brief hiatus, the H5N1 virus has been detected again in Poland. Affected have been two turkey farms in the northwestern province of West Pomerania, according to the WOAH notification.
After an eight-month absence, the same viral variant was found on a farm in Belgium at the end of November. Source of the latest infection in chicken at the premises in West Flanders was attributed to contact with wild birds.
In the Netherlands, the number of farms affected by HPAI this season has risen by one. Latest infection hit a layer flock of 110,000 birds in Putten in the province of Gelderland, according to the Dutch agriculture ministry.
The EC does not monitor the disease situation in the United Kingdom (U.K.) through its Information System. However, the veterinary authority there has confirmed to WOAH the latest three outbreaks on poultry farms — two in England and one in Scotland.
To December 2, 15 European countries have together registered a total of 96 outbreaks of HPAI in captive birds in 2023 through the EC’s system. This category covers non-commercial poultry flocks, and birds other than poultry, such as zoos. The situation is unchanged from the previous version dated November 26.
More cases in wild animals across Europe
As of December 2, a total of 3,452 HPAI outbreaks in their respective wild bird populations have been confirmed to the EC by 28 states of the EU member and adjacent states, according to the EC. This is 27 more than in the previous update of November 26.
For comparison, 3,245 outbreaks were confirmed in 33 of the region’s nations during 2022.
According to the EC System, Germany has recorded the highest number of outbreaks in this population — 1,092 for the year to date — followed by France (407).
Both of these countries had registered new cases in wild birds with the EC since the earlier edition, along with Denmark, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, and Sweden.
Furthermore, the Croatian animal health agency confirmed its first ever case of H5N1 HPAI in a wild bird to WOAH, detected in mid-November.
The agency has also been notified of two more wild birds that had tested positive for the virus in the U.K.
Two more outbreaks at Finnish fur farms
At the ned of November, the same virus variant was detected at two more fur farms in Finland.
Eight out of 2,250 captive raccoon dogs, Arctic foxes and red foxes died at the two premises — one located in each of the Finnish regions previously reporting outbreaks in non-avian populations.
Since the first cases in “unusual hosts” at the end of June, HPAI of the same virus variant has been detected at 66 fur farms in Finland, and in four wild mammals.
View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.
