Headlines
France reports bird flu outbreak on northern farm
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 13, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
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Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on October 13, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
France confirms a bird flu outbreak on a northern farm, prompting culling and indoor poultry measures. The government continues its vaccination campaign.
PARIS (Reuters) -France has confirmed an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu, on a farm in the north of the country, authorities said, as Europe faces a seasonal upturn in the deadly disease.
The virus was detected at a pheasant and partridge breeding farm in the village of Pihen-Les-Guines, near the port town of Calais, the local prefecture said in a statement. The farm's entire flock will be culled while poultry within 10 km of the affected farm are to be kept indoors, it said.
The spread of bird flu worldwide in recent years has disrupted poultry production and raised fears of human transmission.
France is starting its third annual vaccination campaign against bird flu, which covers farm ducks. The government has credited the policy with curbing the disease.
The French agriculture ministry did not immediately comment on whether the outbreak would change the country's alert level for bird flu, currently set at its lowest, or its bird flu-free status that has an impact on international trade.
(Reporting by Gus Trompiz; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
Avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is a viral infection that primarily affects birds but can also infect humans and other animals. It can cause severe respiratory illness and is highly pathogenic in certain strains.
Culling is the process of removing or killing animals from a population to control disease spread or manage population size. In agriculture, it is often used to prevent the spread of diseases like avian influenza.
A vaccination campaign is a coordinated effort to immunize a population against specific diseases. In the context of avian influenza, it aims to protect poultry from the virus and reduce outbreaks.
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