France reports bird flu on Peruvian farms as disease spreads across Europe

PARIS (Reuters) – France has detected an outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian flu virus at a Peruvian farm in the country’s northwest, the agriculture ministry reported for the third week, as a seasonal wave of infections spreads across Europe.

The outbreak in the British region is the first agricultural case in France this autumn, with an infected bush bird reported, the ministry reported in a statement.

Several cases in wild birds have been recorded in recent days, he said, adding that the government had raised the national bird flu alert level from mild to moderate.

Bird populations in areas particularly in contact with wild birds are now confined to designated or controlled obsolete environments.

Bird flu, commonly known as bird flu, has killed hundreds of thousands of birds in recent years. It usually occurs in autumn and winter in Europe and has recently been discovered during agricultural exploration in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Croatia and Hungary.

Bird flu has disrupted meat and egg supplies in parts of the world in recent years, sending prices soaring. To address this problem, France launched an avian influenza vaccination campaign in early October.

France’s plan was initially limited to ducks, which are only susceptible to the virus. By 2022, ducks will account for only 8% of France’s total poultry production.

Reportage by Gus Trompiz and Sybille by La Hamaide; edited by Kirsten Donovan