Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 21, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleFrance has raised its bird flu alert level to high, requiring poultry farms to keep birds indoors due to new outbreaks. This measure aims to prevent further spread of the disease.
PARIS (Reuters) -France has raised its bird flu alert level to 'high' from 'moderate', requiring poultry farms nationwide to keep birds indoors as Europe faces a seasonal resurgence of the disease.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, is a seasonal disease spread by migratory birds. It has led to the culling of tens of millions of poultry worldwide in recent years, disrupting production and raising fears of human transmission.
"This decree... was issued following evidence of infection among migratory wild birds in Europe, including France, and the confirmation of several outbreaks in poultry farms," the agriculture ministry said in the government's official journal.
So far, two bird flu outbreaks have been detected on poultry farms and three in backyard flocks, the ministry said in the decree. A first case had been detected in mid-October at a pheasant and partridge breeding farm in northern France.
The change in status will take effect on Wednesday.
The upgrade to risk status in the seasonal assessment is kicking in earlier than previous years, taking effect in October compared to November last year and December in 2023.
(Reporting by Gus Trompiz and Sybille de La Hamaide, Editing by Benoit Van Overstraeten and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a viral infection that primarily affects birds but can also infect humans. It is often spread through contact with infected birds or contaminated environments.
Avian influenza refers to a variety of influenza viruses that primarily infect birds. Some strains can cause severe disease in poultry and can potentially infect humans.
A poultry farm is a facility where domesticated birds, such as chickens, ducks, and turkeys, are raised for their eggs or meat.
A seasonal disease is an illness that occurs at certain times of the year, often influenced by environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, which affect the spread of pathogens.
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