France is suffering from the worst outbreak of avian flu in French history, as a new wave of infections has reached the centers of poultry production in the Loire Valley and Brittany. According to the French Ministry of Agriculture, over 12.1 million animals have been culled in more than a thousand outbreaks over the past six months.
Avian influenza, caused by migratory birds, affected all 27 EU countries last autumn, except for Malta and Cyprus. While the epidemic had practically disappeared everywhere by the end of March, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the bird flu spread rapidly again in France last month. Approximately 4 million geese and ducks fell victim in the southwest of the country.
Since last October, the virus has been detected thousands of times in wild birds across EU countries, and hundreds of outbreaks have been reported in domestic birds (backyard and commercial). Additionally, the virus has been found in mammals in several countries: in foxes in the Netherlands and Finland, in seals in Germany and Sweden, and in otters in Finland.
German researchers from the FLI state that Europe has never experienced such a severe outbreak of avian flu. Previously, the virus mostly occurred in countries with many open waters, such as the Netherlands. This usually happened only during the migration season, i.e., in the last months of the year. Now, the virus also appears in drier areas and is present year-round.
According to French Agriculture Minister Julien Denormandie, vaccination is ultimately the only real remedy against the repeatedly returning animal disease. He has already held discussions with the poultry sector about initial trials. According to him, using the vaccine should not be taboo, because there are no alternative long-term solutions.
In France, so many farms have had to be culled lately that, in some cases, there is no available personnel. Breeders in such cases have been permitted to turn off the air ventilation in the barns so that the tens of thousands of animals die from suffocation.
This practice, which is only allowed in the western part of the country where about 25% of the poultry stock is kept, has come under fire from farmers' unions and animal welfare activists. In France, poultry is most often culled through euthanasia, using special gas units that ensure the animals do not suffer.
Pharmaceutical companies are already working on a vaccine against the virus, but not all countries want it. There are concerns about the safety of meat and eggs from vaccinated chickens and ducks. However, as the virus spreads so rapidly, more and more countries are recognizing the necessity. Dutch Minister Henk Staghouwer also advocated for vaccination against bird flu earlier this year at an EU ministers' meeting.