#10,853
While reports of avian flu have slowed considerably out of France over the past 10 days, today the French MOA has announced their 65th HPAI outbreak, with HPAI H5N1 detected on a farm in the town of Miers, making the 7th Department (Lot) to be impacted since late November.
Outbreaks have been relatively small, although they apparently involve five new strains of avian flu, all said to be of `European lineage', and not descended from the more dangerous Asian H5N1 virus.
Details on these viruses (HPAI H5N1, H5N2, H5N9 and LPAI H5N2, H5N3), and how they all emerged more or less simultaneously in France, have been slow to emerge. The last DEFRA Update On France's HPAI Outbreak (Dec 24th) cited this lack of information as hampering their ability to produce a full threats analysis.
Here is the latest (translated) update from the French MOA.
Avian Influenza: the current situation in France
What is the current situation in France? (updated on 01/05/2016 at 10am)
In total, to date, 65 of highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreaks in poultry were detected in 7 southwestern departments of France.
ANSES gave its opinion delivered on 14 December 2015, on the potential danger to humans from the avian influenza strain identified, including the results of the complete sequencing of the H5N1 strain detected in the first home in the Dordogne. She confirmed the absence for this dangerous H5N1 strain of the key markers for human.
Find below the details of homes by department below:
In the Dordogne, 13 homes
In the Landes, 27 homes
In Haute-Vienne, a home
In Gers, 10 homes
In the Pyrénées Atlantiques, 10 homes
In the Hautes-Pyrénées, 3 fireplaces
In the Lot: a home
- A highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza outbreak was declared on Jan. 4, 2016 on a farm of 260 guinea fowl, 280 ducks, 650 chickens and 60 broiler hens, in the town of Miers
(Continue . . .)
