Avian flu threatens future of French poultry sector

With heavy losses from highly pathogenic avian influenza for a second year coming at the same time as global economic pressures, it is suggested that the French poultry industry is under severe threat.

(David Tadevosian I shutterstock.com)
(David Tadevosian I shutterstock.com)

As of April 22, 1,429 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks have been registered across Europe so far in 2022. This is according to the latest update of the Animal Disease Information System by the European Commission (EC), and it includes one or more outbreaks in 18 European countries over this period.

Already the figure is approaching the 1,756 outbreaks registered with the EC by 24 European states during the whole of 2021.

Of the 129 new outbreaks recorded since the previous update on April 8, 105 were in France. With 1,203 outbreaks, France accounts for 84% of the region’s total for the year to date. With more cases reported by Hungary, this nation has registered the second highest outbreaks total for 2022 so far at 44. With an unchanged total of 31 outbreaks, Spain has registered the next highest total for the year so far.

Also registering new outbreaks though the EC system over the previous two weeks were Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Germany, the Netherlands, and Poland.

Future of French poultry production under threat

Combined with the rising costs of production from the global supply situation, HPAI is threatening the future of the nation’s egg and poultry sectors. This is according to a recent report from the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

So far this winter, around 5% — 15 million — poultry have been culled in France due to infections. Every day, further outbreaks are detected, linked to an H5N1 virus serotype that is highly transmissible between birds. As a result of these pressures, FAS reports, half of French poultry meat consumption is now from imports.

As in the outbreak wave the previous winter, France’s first cases were in duck and goose flocks in the south-west of the country, and were linked to an H5N8 virus serotype. For the 2021-2022 season, however, the H5N1 variant is involved, and it has spread eastwards and northwards to infect all types of poultry.

As of April 28, 1,354 HPAI outbreaks have been confirmed on commercial poultry farms by the French agriculture ministry since last November. This is an increase of 39 over the previous eight days.

In the Pays de la Loire region in the west of France, Vendée continues to be the worst-affected department with 532 outbreaks. However, Dordogne in the neighboring region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine has registered the highest recent increase in outbreaks — 16 — to a total of 54.

As well as commercial premises, HPAI has also been confirmed in 30 backyard poultry flocks, the ministry reports. Recent cases have been detected in 17 departments — including in Corrèze and Dordogne for the first time. Both of these departments are in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Further cases in poultry in other European states

Over the past week, Hungary has officially registered 28 new HPAI outbreaks in poultry flocks.

According to latest reports to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), these occurred in three counties in the south of the country — Bacs-Kiskun, Csongrad-Csanad, and Bekes. While the largest outbreak affected 222,000 laying hens, the majority of other outbreaks were in ducks and geese for meat or foie-gras production.

Also in the Netherlands a new wave in HPAI outbreaks has been reported in recent weeks.

Since April 22, four new outbreaks have been confirmed by the Dutch agriculture ministry. All were in Lunteren or Barneveld in the eastern province of Gelderland. Directly impacted were a total of 183,600 birds. These included two farms with meat chickens, and one each of laying hens and breeder chickens.

With the latest spike in outbreaks in a poultry-dense area, control measures have recently been ramped up in the Netherlands.

Among the new measures are that all farms within a 1-km radius of a confirmed outbreak are now being depopulated, and all poultry culled. In relation to these latest outbreaks, this has been applied to 13 more poultry flocks comprising an unspecified number of birds. For the many more premises within 3km of an outbreak, flocks undergo intensified monitoring for the following 14 days, while there is a ban on all poultry movements to and from all poultry farms within the 10-km radius.

From Poland, the chief veterinary office reports two more HPAI outbreaks in commercial flocks. With both premises in the same province — Greater Poland (Wielkopolskie) — a flock of around 190,000 laying hens, and one of 23,600 meat turkeys tested positive for the H5N1 virus variant last week.

Last week, one new HPAI outbreak was confirmed in Bulgaria by the national food safety authority. Affected was a flock of around 12,000 laying hens in Stara Zagora. This is the first outbreak in this central province in 2022.

In all of these outbreaks, the virus responsible was known or suspected to be an HPAI virus of the H5N1 serotype.

U.K. lifts poultry housing order

Despite announcing one new HPAI outbreak in poultry last week in the central English county of Derbyshire, the government is lifting the poultry housing order from next week (May 2). This will apply to all the nations of the United Kingdom (U.K.), according to the agriculture department, Defra.

In November of 2021, mandatory housing measures for poultry and captive birds were introduced across the U.K. to help stop the spread of avian flu.

From next week, poultry and other captive birds are allowed outside again — unless the premises is in an active Protection Zone

Despite the easing of restrictions, enhanced biosecurity requirements introduced as part of the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) last year will remain in force. This is because the virus may still be circulating in the environment for several more weeks. For the time being, no poultry gatherings are allowed. 

Owners are advised to prepare outside areas before birds are released. Recommended measures are the cleansing and disinfection of hard surfaces, fencing of ponds, and the reintroduction of measures to deter wild birds.

HPAI in European wild birds

For the year to date, HPAI outbreaks in wild birds across Europe reported to the EC animal disease system have reached 1,612 (as of April 22).

This represents an increase of 34 compared with the two weeks previously. Of these, 14 were reported by the Netherlands, and six by France. With Iceland recording its first case of the year, 31 European states have registered one or more outbreaks in wild birds through the system so far in 2022.

These figures compare with the same number of European countries registering a total of 2,437 HPAI outbreaks in wild birds with the EC last year.

In 2022 so far, Germany has detected the most outbreaks in wild species (804), followed by the Netherlands (337), and Denmark (84). Also confirming with the EC new outbreaks were Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, Greece, Poland, Spain, and Sweden.

View our continuing coverage of the global avian influenza situation.

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