New outbreak of French bird flu takes total cases to 65

Hopes that the French bird flu epidemic had ended may have been premature, with another highly pathogenic outbreak confirmed.

Between 24 November and the end of December last year, some 64 cases were reported across the south-west of France, and tens of thousands of birds were slaughtered.

The first week of the new year saw a slowing of fresh cases. But on 5 January H5N1 avian influenza (AI) was identified at a holding in Miers, Lot, making this 65th case in the seventh French department to be affected.

See also: Bird flu cases in France more than double in a week

There is some uncertainty as to the spread of disease, given that bird movement restrictions were in place for much of December.

One suggestion is that heightened awareness has increased reporting, while compulsory testing at the slaughterhouse has uncovered further cases.

This supports the theory that low-pathogenic AI mutated to high-pathogenic bird flu, before spreading undetected in species that display few symptoms throughout the region.  

Stephane Le Foll, French minister for agriculture, has said the situation is under control.

French authorities have insisted the five unique strains identified in the outbreak are of little risk to human health, being distinct European versions of the Asian strains that can cause human health problems.

Economic strain

The series of outbreaks will cause economic headaches for the French poultry industry, however.

A number of third countries closed markets at the beginning of December. Foie gras pate, a key export worth €84m (£62m) to the economy last year, has been blocked from two lucrative markets – Japan and South Korea.

But France’s largest external market, Saudi Arabia, continues to permit importation of poultrymeat reared outside the affected areas.

Defra has urged UK poultry producers to remain vigilant and considers the highest risk of infection to be poor biosecurity or the importation of infected material, rather than wild bird movements.