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Avian flu outbreak detected on a farm north of Nantes
A highly pathogenic avian flu outbreak has been confirmed in a turkey farm in Nort-sur-Erdre, about twenty kilometers north of Nantes, the prefecture of Loire-Atlantique announced on Thursday. All turkeys on the affected site will be culled to prevent the spread of the virus.
A protection zone of 3 km and a surveillance zone of 10 km have been established around the infected farm to limit the risk of transmission to other poultry operations. Within these zones, the transport of poultry and captive birds is prohibited, except with special authorization from the Departmental Directorate for Population Protection (DDPP).
Authorities have urged all poultry farmers to strictly apply biosecurity measures to prevent the virus from entering farms through wild birds — particularly during the migration season — or through human activities.
France raised its national avian flu risk level from “negligible” to “moderate” on Wednesday after the detection of two outbreaks in recent days, as Europe enters the flu season for wild birds.
The country hopes to avoid a major epizootic this year thanks to the mandatory vaccination of ducks, introduced in autumn 2023. Between 2021 and 2023, France recorded 1,800 outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), leading to the culling of 32 million birds and billions of euros in losses.