France reports bird flu on two farms, losing disease-free status

31/12/2024 19:44

France has confirmed bird flu outbreaks on two poultry farms, just days after being officially declared free of the virus, the agriculture ministry said.



Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), commonly called bird flu, has spread across Europe in a seasonal wave linked to migrating birds, though the impact has been less severe than in the United States, where flock losses have led to record egg prices and the virus has been transmitted to cattle and humans.



French authorities confirmed the new cases on two farms in the northwestern region of Normandy on Dec. 27 and Dec. 28, the ministry said in a statement late on Monday.