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| Outbreak Location - Credit OIE |
#12,519
France's horrific HPAI H5 bird flu season, which began in early December - appears to have finally ended - their last MOA update was March 29th - with nearly 500 outbreaks in commercial and privately held flocks, necessitating the culling of millions of birds.
Not included in these numbers are dozens of LPAI H5 outbreaks (H5N2, H5N2, H5N9, etc.), which began in October of 2015, and that have plagued the country off and on for the past 18 months (see DEFRA: Update On HPAI & LPAI Avian Flu Outbreaks in France).
While avian flu activity has been almost exclusively H5 in Europe since last fall, today the OIE reports that France saw a small outbreak of LPAI H7 (n-type unknown) in a flock last month.
While LPAI H7 viruses are relatively common, and rarely cause mortality in birds or health problems in humans (China's H7N9 being the exception), they have the potential to mutate into HPAI H7 viruses - which do pose a threat to both poultry and humans.For that reason all H5 and H7 outbreaks - regardless of pathogenicity - are reportable to the OIE, and immediate steps are generally taken to cull any exposed poultry.
Below you'll find the OIE notification on the outbreak in mallard ducks and pheasants which began May 17th and is now considered resolved.
