Avian flu is resurfacing in France. A new outbreak of contamination was confirmed on Thursday, October 16, at a turkey farm in Loire-Atlantique, the third in less than seven days. Previous cases were detected in Seine-Maritime and Pas-de-Calais. Faced with this resurgence, the government has raised the risk level and is calling for strict enforcement of biosecurity measures. Each outbreak triggers the same procedure: slaughter of the affected animals and establishment of a three-kilometer protection zone, extended to ten for surveillance. Within these perimeters, all transport of poultry or captive birds is prohibited, except in exceptional circumstances. The objective is clear: to stop the spread of the virus before it reaches other farms, as wild bird migrations favor transmission at this time of year.
A “moderate” risk but maximum vigilance
On Wednesday, authorities officially raised the risk level from "negligible" to "moderate," the second level on the national scale. The Ministry of Agriculture is urging farmers to apply the strictest health guidelines to prevent the virus from entering farms, either via wildlife or human activity. This alert comes amid a tense European context. Since August 1, nearly forty outbreaks have been identified on the continent, notably in Spain, Germany, and Poland. The previous year, France recorded 620 cases, a far cry from the massive waves of 2021 to 2023, when more than 30 million poultry had to be slaughtered.
Between displayed serenity and economic concern
Despite these new cases, the industry remains cautious but confident. Representatives of the Interprofessional Foie Gras Committee (Cifog) say they are "calm, vigilant, but very optimistic." Vaccinating ducks, made mandatory since the fall of 2023, has reduced the number of outbreaks by dozens. But this campaign comes at a cost: around €100 million per year, the state-funded portion of which has been reduced from 85% to 40% in two years. Some producers are still hesitant to vaccinate, fearing the loss of export markets, particularly in Asia. A Japanese delegation is expected in France by the end of the month to assess the health situation and consider resuming imports. For now, the authorities are reassuring: the virus remains very poorly transmissible to humans. But with the arrival of large migratory flights and the shadow of a new epidemic outbreak, the poultry industry knows that it is entering a new season under high surveillance.
